


A Million Fragments of You and Me

by itsnotaboutlove



Category: Star Trek: Alternate Original Series (Movies)
Genre: Angst, Awkward Conversations, Awkward Sexual Situations, Birthday, Childbirth, Death, Dreams, F/M, Family, Family Drama, Fluff, Gen, Holidays, Humor, Illnesses, Kid Fic, Marriage, One-Shots, Parents & Children, Romance, Sexual Humor, Teen Angst, Teenagers, Vacations, holiday parties, life - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-04-02
Updated: 2015-05-30
Packaged: 2017-12-07 06:12:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 29
Words: 55,851
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/745209
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/itsnotaboutlove/pseuds/itsnotaboutlove
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A series of one-shots about Christopher Pike and the woman who captured his heart.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Twinkle

**_Twinkle_ **

Christopher made his way through the lower level of the house, as the music from the living room filled the air. A few boxes were strewn about in the hallway, along with shopping bags from the store. He chuckled to himself, taking in the mess that was left behind in the wake of the hurricane. One that situated itself in his living room since the late afternoon. Glancing into the large space of his home, Christopher leaned against the doorway and watched as the woman stood on her toes in front of the large tree by the window.

"Just hear those sleigh bells jingle-ing. Ring ting tingle-ing too," Amelia sang along to the music, as she fiddled with the strands of lights.

Watson sat on the floor near the coffee table, pawing at the strand of white lights, as the young woman untangled them.

She smiled at the dog and reached out to scratch his head, "Come on, it's lovely weather for a sleigh ride together with you,"

Watson barked, his tail thumping against the carpet as Amelia continued wrapping the lights through the branches, her arms growing tired from reaching so high. Christopher made his way from the doorway and into the room, sneaking quietly up behind her. Just as the lights became tangled in the tree branch, he wrapped his arms around her waist, making her jump. Looking over her shoulder, Amelia smiled and let out a breathless laugh.

"Need some help?" he asked, glancing up at the tangled wires and brightly lit blubs.

Amelia smiled and nodded, "Please?" she asked.

Stepping around her, Chris reached up and managed to untangle the strand of lights, weaving them through the branches. Amelia took a step back and watched as he made his way around the tree, wrapping the white lights around the top. On of the many advantages of dating a man who was taller than you, their height difference was one of the best. She snapped out of her daydream when he stood before her, holding the remains of the lights out to her.

"Do you want to finish the rest?" he asked, as she blinked.

Amelia tore her eyes of his and looked at the tree standing in front of his window, the lights wrapped around half the tree. They looked like little stars, captured from the black sky and tied to endless strands of green wires, wrapped around their tree.

"Sure," she replied, taking the lights from him.

"I'll bring in the rest of the stuff you brought over," he said, kissing the side of her head.

She watched as he disappeared into the hallway smiling to herself, as he shuffled through the bags of decorations she bought. Turning back to the tree, she moved quickly, wanting to finish the tree before bedtime. It would be their first Christmas together as a couple, having only been dating for six months. While neither had plans for the upcoming holiday, with both fall terms ending at their respected jobs, it was in the second week of December that they decided to celebrate it together.

Once the lights were done, Amelia lowered the music and made her way over to the coffee table, collecting the trash.

"Did you buy out the whole store?" Chris asked, as he came back with several shopping bags in his hands.

She smiled, "I didn't know what to buy. The last time I celebrated Christmas was four years ago, at my sisters house in Denver," she said, taking a few bags from him.

He settled the rest of the bags onto the table and started removing the boxes of ornaments, all in a variety of colors and shapes.

"Besides, I wanted to get everything and be here as fast as possible. I nearly skipped through the parking lot at the school today," she said, opening a box of green and blue stars.

Chris snorted, "I bet the kids liked that."

 

Amelia moved to the tree and started placing the ornaments onto the branches, spacing them out as she went. The lights twinkled against the glass of the stars, breaking the color out into a kaleidoscope among the branches. As the tree came together, with more ornaments, garland and bows, Amelia felt herself getting into the holiday cheer. 

Two hours later, a bottle of wine, and dimmed lights, Amelia and Chris found themselves on the couch staring at their tree. Watson lounged at their feet, with his trustworthy chew toy at his side. They shared a heavy blanket, which sat across their laps, as the temperature dropped to the fifties outside.

"I think we did good," Amelia said, taking a sip from her glass.

Chris wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her closer to his side, " _You_ did good. This tree is all you," he said, waving his other hand at it.

Amelia looked up at him and smirked, "It's both of us," she said, reaching out for the half eaten candy cane. "I made sure to put enough blue ornaments and candy canes on those branches," she said, popping the minty treat into her mouth.

He chuckled, "There's a lot going on in that tree," he said, nodding to the empty boxes and plastic ornament holders that now littered his coffee table and floor.

She glanced at them and shrugged, "We could always get another tree next year," she said, twirling the candy cane around.

"Next year?" he asked, looking at her.

She blushed and averted her eyes from his, the candy cane still in her mouth. A few minutes later, she turned her head and managed a small smile.

"Or we could just throw them out once the holiday is over," she offered, shrugging.

Chris leaned forward and placed his lips on hers, taking in the taste peppermint and wine from her lips. Amelia's hand wrapped around his neck, pulling him closer to her.

Breaking away from her lips, Chris rested his forehead against hers and sighed. "Next year we'll get a smaller tree,"

She smiled and her eyes twinkled like the white lights on their tree, "I love you," she whispered, before kissing him again.

"I love you, too."

Wrapped up in each others arms, with the blanket keeping them warm, they both sat and watched as the lights twinkled in their eyes.

 


	2. Watson

_Watson_

Most men his age were already married with children, or in a relationship that lasted more than a few sex sessions. But for Christopher Pike, Captain of  _Yorktown_ and now professor and recruiter, relationships never happened. Sure, there were a few women here and there, during shore leave or when he came home from a long trip into the deep abyss of the twinkling sky. But they never stuck around long enough for him to come home to.

So after his first month home on Earth, he bought a dog. A puppy that is, a three month of Siberian Husky that caught his eye while taking a walk in town. The local pet shop had a pen filled with puppies in the window, yipping and rolling about in the shredded newspaper. The black and white puppy, with one blue eye, stood against the glass watching as the people moved by. His little tail wagged quickly, as he yipped at those who stopped to stare at him and his buddies.

Chris was enjoying his Saturday morning, walking through the town. After a long week of Command classes, he was glad to have two days to himself. The freshmen wore him out, asking endless questions that either made no sense or required no thought to really answer them. He was missing his ship badly along with the crew, but it was his choice to take a few years off and enjoy his time at home.

The last thing he ever thought of doing, was adding another member to his family. But when he heard the muffled yips and howling, he couldn't help but glance at the window of the pet store. He saw a few Golden Retriever puppies rolling around with a Beagle and a Pug. But it was the little Husky dog that kept it's place at the opposite end of the pen, standing up against the glass. When the puppy saw him, he began to bark at him as if Chris was an old friend. Without even realizing it, Chris found himself walking into the pet store and asking the saleswoman about the puppy.

Ten minutes and many credits later, Chris was standing in his kitchen watching as the puppy ran around, smelling everything. He put the food and water into the small dish and laid it on the floor, and watched as the puppy went to it.

"You have to eat," he said, as the puppy gave the dried food a sniff before walking away.

Chris watched as the puppy walked up to him, before siting at his feet, looking up at his new owner. With a sigh, Chris knelt down on the floor and gave the puppy a light pat on the head.

"What are we going to call you?" he asked, as the puppy licked his hand.

Chris thought back to all the names his friends gave their dogs, which were after celebrities or cartoon characters. The only pet he ever had was a rabbit that lived in his sisters' room named Floppy. The puppy barked before rolling around, wagging his tail at Chris.

"Sparky?" he asked.

The puppy's head cocked to the side as if he were asking " _Are you serious?"_

Chris laughed, "No? Hmm, let's see…" he pondered, watching as the dog sat quietly, watching him.

"Buddy?"

The puppy began to howl in what sounded like distaste and Chris sighed, "What the hell am I gonna call you? Can't call you dog! I can see how that'll go when I take you to the vet and they call you "Dog!" " he said, as the puppy continued to howl.

Chris sighed and thought some more, as the puppy went from howling to playing with the soft toy that Chris picked out before paying. He watched as the stuffed toy, shaped like a Starfleet tri-corder, squeaked as the puppy chewed on it.

"Watson,"

The squeaking stopped, as the Puppy looked up at him. Instantly, the toy fell from his mouth and he scrambled to his feet, rushing forward and jumping onto Chris' legs.

"You like that? Watson?" he asked, as the puppy nuzzled his arm with his wet nose. "You can be the Watson to my Sherlock- although I'm not as colorful as he is," he said, as Watson barked.

Standing up, Chris scooped the puppy up into his arms, and allowed his new companion to lick his face.

"Alright, Watson it is," he said, carrying him out the back door and into the yard.

 


	3. Princesses

_Princesses_

The early spring day was filled with shrieks, giggles and shouting. Two very young girls were running around the endless backyard, dressed in princess costumes, as their Mother and Dather shouted from the patio.

"Isabella! Arianna! You're Uncle is here!"

The two blonde twins stopped in mid-run, their blue eyes wide and sparkling, before taking off towards the patio.

"Uncle Chris! Uncle Chris!" they both shrieked.

Chris laughed and knelt down, accepting the two girls into his arms and they held onto him tightly.

"There's my birthday girls!' he exclaimed, as they both giggled.

Isabella, the brave and blunt of the duo, turned her eyes to the woman that stood behind her Uncle.

"Who's she?"

"Isabella!"

Chris chuckled, "It's alright Liz," he said, as his sister frowned at the child. "Girls, this is Amelia," he said, standing up.

The twins watched as their Uncle wrapped his arm around the very slender waist of a tall brunette, who smiled shyly at them.

"You're really pretty," Arianna whispered, before her cheeks turned pink.

The adults laughed and Amelia smiled, "Thank you," she responded, looking at both girls. "Your Uncle Chris told me you two were beautiful, but my goodness- you both look like little princesses!" she exclaimed.

Arianna giggled and covered her mouth with her hands, while Isabella just stared at her. Liz watched as her daughters took in the woman who'd captured her older brother's heart almost a year ago, and how Amelia interacted with them. Liz and her husband, Robert, had met the woman months before at a Starfleet party and were quickly wrapped up in her charming personality and understanding of Chris' life. To them, the young woman was certainly the perfect match for the Captain and told him everyday.

Arianna ran forward and tugged on Amelia's skirt, "Do you want to have a tea party? We got a tea set for our birthday!" she asked.

Amelia smiled and nodded, "Sure, I'd love to," she said, before shooting a look at her boyfriend and his sister.

"You go on, Mia. I think Robert needs help with the grill," she said, as Chris laughed.

"Can't have burnt burgers," he said.

"I heard that Pike!" Robert yelled, from the opposite end of the patio.

With a quick kiss, Amelia was pulled to the play table at the end of the yard, underneath the willow tree. Arianna placed her between a stuffed bear and a mermaid doll.

"Sir Nicolas and Princess Amiessina of Atlantis," she said, before picking up her play teapot.

"Oh," Amelia said with a slight nod, before taking the teacup from Arianna. "How do you do Sir Nicolas? Princess Amiessina?" she asked, putting on a faux English accent.

Arianna giggled as she sat down at the table across from Amelia, fiddling with the freshly cut daisies from the garden nearby. For an hour and a half, Amelia and the little girl spoke to each other and to the toys that sat around the table, while sipping from empty cups. Isabella watched from her playhouse across the yard, a frown on her face the entire time.

Once the food was ready, Chris went to collect the girls from their tea party. As he came up to the table, he saw that Amelia and Arianna were giggling into the plastic cups. Upon her head Amelia wore a crown of daisies crafted from a copper wire and ribbon.

"Ladies," he greeted them as he reached the table.

Amelia and Arianna looked up at him with smiles, "Hello Uncle Chris. Would you like tea?" Arianna asked.

He chuckled, "Maybe later, Ari. It's time to eat though," he said, causing the little girl to groan.

"But Sir Nicolas was just telling us about his time on Vulcan, when he brought gingersnaps and jellybeans!" she cried.

Amelia laughed, "We could always invite Sir Nicolas to come with us," she said, before turning to Chris. "If that's alright?" she asked, with a straight face despite the twinkle in her eye.

Chris smiled, "Ari, how about you and Sir Nicolas head up to the patio? I'll escort Amelia," he said, as the little girl stood up.

"She's Queen Amelia, Uncle Chris," she said, scooping the bear up into her arms.

Chris arched an eyebrow, "Oh? And does Queen Amelia have a King waiting for her in her kingdom?" he asked.

Arianna giggled, "Uncle Chris, Amelia is  _your_ Queen!" she said, before shaking her head.

They both watched as the little girl ran up towards the patio, talking loudly to the stuffed bear in her arms.

Chris then turned to Amelia and laughed, "Never a dull moment here," he said.

Amelia snorted, "No. But it's nice," she said from her spot at the small table.

Clearing his throat, Chris held out his hand and she glanced at it before looking up at him with a smile.

"Shall we your majesty?" he asked.

Reaching up, Amelia placed her hand into his and pushed herself off the chair.

Chris wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her close. The crown of daisies slipped down her forehead as she moved, resting uncomfortably against her eyebrow. Reaching up, Chris pushed the crown up and laughed.

"It's a good look for you," he said, his eyes scanning her face.

She laughed, " Come on my darling king. We shant have our princesses waiting. Tis a pity to arrive late to their party, " she said, smirking.

With a quick kiss, Chris took her by the hand and led her down the sloping hill towards the patio to join the party.

 


	4. Numb

_Numb_

The  _Enterprise_ began it's trip to the base that circled above Earth, after the vicious attack that took place just hours before. The medical center onboard reeked of antiseptics and rubber gloves, which reminded Chris of a hospital. The thought of hospitals brought him back three weeks previously, when he stood at his wife's side, as she brought their child into the world.

_Andrew_

Chris closed his eyes, and pushed his head deeper into the pillows as he thought about his son. Only three weeks old. Brand new and waiting for him at home in his crib.

"How are you feeling?"

Chris lifted his head up and found McCoy standing at the foot of his bed, holding a PADD in one hand, a tricorder in the other.

"How do you think I feel, Doc?" he asked, his voice steely.

McCoy grumbled as he ran the tricorder over his legs, checking for any improvement. He then pulled the blankets down, and began prodding his feet and legs.

"Can you move your toes?" he asked, keeping his eyes on them as he spoke,

"No."

 

"Can you feel this?" he asked, touching his shin.

"No."

"What about t-"

"Dammit McCoy, I can't feel anything!" Chris snapped.

Leonard stood up and sighed, as he pulled the blankets back up and over his legs. He then pulled a chair up to his bedside and sat down, resting the PADD on his lap.

"We can fix this," he started, as Chris laughed bitterly.

"Can you?" he asked, staring the man down. "Can you really fix what Nero did to me? I have a wife and a baby at home, and she probably thinks we're dead. How the hell am I going to look her in the eye, when I tell her that I can't even walk or stand up to hug her? That now, on top of taking care of a newborn, she'll be taking care of me too?" he snapped.

Leonard shook his head, "Look, I get that your angry and upset. Shit, I would be too if I was in your position. But Amelia is a tough lady," he said, as Chris looked up at the ceiling. "Trust me, I've seen her when she's determined. Even Jim's scared of her," he said.

Chris managed a small smile and Leonard nodded, "It's going to be tough, Chris. I won't lie to ya and make it sound like it'll be an easy road to travel. You'll have days when you want to stay in bed and just watch life go by. Days when you feel like you wanna die and have it all end," he said.

Chris turned to look at the doctor, who despite his reputation with awful bedside manner, spoke in a soft but determined tone.

"I waited so long for someone like Amelia. Never though I'd find her to be honest," he said, looking down at his lap. "What if this is too much for her? A baby and a cripple for a husband?" he asked.

"There will be times when she'll get mad and frustrated. But that woman would be crazy to leave you. She didn't even give Jim a second glance when he met her," Leonard chuckled. "I think she's going to be an important part to your recovery."

Chris sighed, "I don't want to put this burden on her, McCoy," he said.

Leonard reached out and placed his hand on top of his, "That's why I'm going to help you," he said.

Chris frowned, "But you're going to be here with Kirk," he said, as Leonard nodded.

"I am. But I'll be the one putting your medical team together in San Francisco. I already started researching potential doctors and specialists. I am going to make damn sure that you're back on your feet in no time," he said, pulling up a few files on the PADD. "Would it be pushing it if I said my goal was to have you walkin' by the time your baby turns a year old?" he asked.

The older man shook his head, "Not at all," he said. "You think you could really do this? Get me back to what I was before this?" he asked, frowning.

Leonard shrugged, "I don't see why not. You're still young- Chris, forty-seven is not old- he said, as Chris rolled his eyes. "And you were in perfect shape before this and your medical record is probably the best I've seen," he said. "So yes, I think I can get you back to your oldself. Worse case scenario.. you'll probably use a cane or have a limp," he said.

"A cane? Jesus," Chris muttered.

"Who knows, Chris. Maybe Amelia would like the cane," he said, as he glanced up from the PADD.

Chris began to laugh, clutching his sides as he did so. It was so stupid to laugh when he was lying in a hospital bed on his ship, numb from the hips down as the doctor next to him promised to fix him up. He continued to laugh, holding back the tears and sobs that threatened to take over. At that moment, he wanted to be off the ship more than ever. He wanted to see his wife and his baby, and have them at his side. He just wanted his old life back, before everything went numb.

 


	5. Scars

_Scars_

When Amelia was a little girl, her mother told her that scars were the passage way to stories. The scar that ran down her left knee was a sad story, filled with years of pride and joy that was ripped from her hands. Amelia knew she wanted to be a ballerina ever since her parents took her to see the Nutcracker one year for Christmas. The graceful postures, the costumes, the music. Every emotion that came out on stage through the body drew Amelia in. She began at the age of five, taking lessons with a group of girls three nights a week after homework was completed. By nine, she enrolled in private lessons with a retired ballerina, famous for her theater work all over the world.

By thirteen, she was on stage with a company, traveling on the weekends for competitions and shows. She was so close to signing a contract to become a professional, dancing every night on stage in Paris. She managed to do what so little could do, turning a dream into a reality. A natural talent to dance across the stage on her toes, showing every single emotion through each twirl and pose. Amelia was going places and she couldn't wait to see her name in bright shining lights.

The dream all came to an end at sixteen, after a move went wrong and she destroyed her knee. Hours after surgery and fighting through the drugs, Amelia knew her dreams were over. She would never see her name in the bright lights, nor would she ever dance across the stage again. She suffered through two years of physical therapy, crying and screaming as each session went on. Anger ran through her veins, when her tattered shoes sat in the closet. All the hard work, time and money spent, meant nothing now.

"I am nothing without ballet! My life is over!" she would scream, as her mother and father tried to get her to move on.

When college began, she thought about becoming a dance teacher. The idea of teaching little girls the art of ballet made her happy, until she realized that without being able to dance there would be no point of teaching. So she settled on education, with a focus in History. She five years and endless nights in the library, and began teaching at the age of twenty-three.

The first time Chris saw the scar on knee, he knew there was a sad story behind it. They were lounging across the couch on a hot summer night, the windows wide open and the hot breeze rolling through the house. He ran his hand down her bare leg, and felt the indentation across her knee.

"What's this from?" he asked, as his fingers danced across the scar.

And she told him. About every single moment that led up to the end of her dancing career; how one move ruined it all.

"Now I have this ugly reminder of my failure," she said sadly.

Chris looked at her then brought his lips to her knee, and kissed the battered skin. "It's not a reminder of a failure. It's a reminder of your accomplishments. A story about who you were and who you are now," he said.

"And who am I now?" she asked, as she watched his fingers dance along her leg.

He smiled, "A beautiful woman who proved that she could do better than watch life go by," he said.

Years later, Amelia found herself looking at the scars that covered her husband's back. They ran down his spine in a faint line, though she could see them quiet clearly as they laid in bed at night. They were the result of torture of Nero and the hard work of Doctor Leonard McCoy. Some nights, long after Chris went to sleep, Amelia would keep the lamp on and look at the scar. He had others- on his knees and shins after endless surgeries to repair the damage to his nerves and muscles. But Leonard and his team of specialists always made sure to work hard to keep the scarring to a minimal.

One night, after Andrew was tucked in to his crib, Amelia climbed into bed next to her husband. He was laying on his side with is back to her, and she could see the scar staring back at her. Instead of keeping the light on, Amelia turned in off and scooted closer to him. She wrapped her arms around his waist and he placed his hands on hers.

"Is he sleeping?" he whispered, as she folded her body against his.

"Mmhmm."

"You sound sad," he said, the frown laced in his tone. "What's wrong?" he asked, trying to turn over.

But Amelia stopped him, "Don't," she said.

"Mia," he started, but her lips stopped him.

She kissed the thin line lightly, just like he did so many years ago to her, and lightly traced it with her fingers. After a few minutes, Chris turned over to look at her.

"Now we're the same. We both carry stories on our bodies," she whispered.

Chris pulled her close in the darkness and kissed her, not saying a single word. But Amelia knew that deep down, he agreed with her.

 


	6. Faith

_Faith_

Christopher Pike wasn't a man of religion or in believing in God or any religious figure. He and Amelia didn't marry in a church and they didn't baptize their son after he was born. While the injured and the families of those who perished during the attack on Vulcan prayed for a watchful eye, Christopher released his thoughts on a Starfleet registered shrink. The first six months was filled with intense physical therapy sessions that left him in near tears or completely exhausted. Amelia extended her maternity leave and added on an undisclosed amount of time off, just to take care of Andrew and to help around the house.

Feeling worthless and having thoughts that he couldn't bear to express towards his wife, Chris ended up calling Leonard one evening and telling him everything. While the doctor couldn't help, being that he was light-years away on a five-year mission, he did call upon a psychologist that owed him a favor and managed to get Chris in for weekly appointments.

"Are you sure you want to see a psychologist? I mean why can't you talk to me?" Amelia asked the next night as she made dinner.

"Because there are things that I can't tell you, Mia," he said, as Andrew sat in the baby carrier on the table.

Amelia looked over at him and nodded, "Oh.." she said softly, before turning back to the stove.

Chris sighed, "I want to tell you all these thoughts I have in my head, but it's just too much. I don't want to freak you out and make you worry," he said.

"I'm always worried, Chris. You could still be on the ship and I would always be worried," she said, turning around to face him. "That maternal instinct doesn't end with children, Chris. You're my husband. I'm allowed to be worried."

When Chris first met Dr. Cora Alyata, he was cold and distant. Her questions made him feel worse than he had already felt, and after each session he craved for a bottle of scotch to drown his miseries. When she suggested that Amelia should come and sit in on one of his sessions, he automatically said no.

"It's part of the healing process, Christopher," she would say.

So when Christopher brought it up one night as they got ready for bed, Amelia thought it was a great idea.

"I would like that," she said, as she fiddled with the baby monitor.

"It's going to be boring, Mia. You really don't want to sit there for an hour and thirty minutes," he said, trying to get her to back out.

"Chris, I'm going. We're in this together, remember?" she said, settling down for the night.

That Friday, Amelia and Chris arrived right on time for his weekly appointment. Amelia had been taken back at how young Cora was and would later comment on it, wondering if medical schools were giving degrees out to whoever showed up. The first twenty minutes consisted of Cora asking how his week went. About physical therapy and how he was doing with work. Then the questions were directed towards Amelia.

"So Amelia, how are you dealing with all of this?" Cora asked, a sunny smile plastered on her face.

Amelia glanced at her husband before turning back to the younger woman, "Fine.." she said.

"Fine?"

"Well would you like me to say that I'm not dealing with this?" Amelia asked.

"Mia.." Chris said softly, reaching out to take her hand.

Cora held her hands up, "All I'm asking is how you are dealing with this situation. I know you two have a baby, correct?" she asked.

Amelia nodded, "Yes, we do," she said.

"Then is it safe to say that you didn't sign up for all of this?" Cora asked.

Chris closed his eyes and shook his head, suppressing a groan as Amelia stared down the woman.

"Excuse me?" she hissed.

Chris knew that she was glaring and knew that Cora was in for a spat of her life.

"I'm sorry," Amelia said, laughing bitterly. "But it sounds like you're suggesting that I signed some type of application on how I wanted my marriage to play out," she said.

"Amelia, I know it's hard. Dealing with a baby and helping your husband with his injuries.." Cora started, before Amelia cut her off.

"Do you? Do you really know what it's like? Because I don't think you do."

"Mia do you want to step outside?" Chris asked, as his wife trembled in her seat.

"No. I don't. I am so sick of people trying to make me feel like I can't handle this! First my parents and my sister and now I have a shrink questioning what I  _signed_ up for when I married you, whatever the hell that means, and I can't stand it!" she shouted.

She then turned and looked at Cora, "I took a vow when I married Chris. In  _sickness_ and  _health._ Not "Until you become a victim of a freak alien attack and you had no control over and now you need to use a wheelchair". He could have any lungworm and I still wouldn't leave him!"

"Amelia I didn't m-" Cora started.

"It's hard. Yes and why shouldn't it be? When Doctor McCoy explained what happened I knew it would be a long road. Unfortunately this happened right after we had our baby, but I think I've handled everything quite well in the last six months," Amelia snapped.

Cora nodded, glancing down at the pad in her lap. "Alright. Moving on," she said, skimming her notes. "When was the last time you and Chris had an intimate session?" she asked.

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Amelia asked with a scoff. She then turned to Chris, "What is going on here?" she asked.

"Amelia, she is just asking a question," he said, trying to calm her down.

Cora leaned forward in her seat, "It's just a question. The answers to these questions wont leave the room if that's what you're worried about," she said.

With a bitter laugh, Amelia shook her head at looked up at the ceiling. "Let's see, the last time I fucked my husband was two days before I pushed out a baby. So nearly seven months?"

"Jesus Amelia.." Chris groaned, covering his face with his hands.

"And is that a personal choice?" Cora asked.

Amelia stared at her, "I had a baby. It was a difficult labor and he ripped me apart. It's taking a lot longer to recover instead of the six to seven weeks. Would you like me to send you my medical record?" she asked.

Chris sighed, "I think that's enough for today," he said.

Cora agreed and they said their goodbyes and went out to the car. The drive back to the house was silent and Chris debated on even starting a conversation. Amelia helped him out of the car and into the house before disappearing into the study. Chris was checking the answering machine when he heard Amelia shouting down the hall.

" _McCoy so help me god, I could KILL you right now!"_

Ten minutes later, Amelia returned from the office and announced that she would make lunch. Chris wheeled into the kitchen a few minutes later and watched as she sliced tomatoes with such force, which worried Chris.

"Any harder and the knife will go right through the cutting board," he said, as she stood with her back towards him.

She remained silent and continued slicing with said force, before grabbing the next victim from the dish.

"Mia, I'm sorry," he said.

Amelia set the knife down onto the counter, her head bowed down. "Do you really think that I hate this life? That I'm.. mad at you because of what happened?" she asked softly.

Chris sighed, "Sometimes I think I disappoint you," he said.

Amelia turned around to look at him, "You don't. And you never did."

"I'm the reason why you had to leave work. And why you have to depend on others to watch the baby when I can't," he said.

Making her way over to the table, Amelia pulled out a chair and sat down. "Sometimes it's nice having a helping hand, Chris. I don't mind having your sister helping out. Or your friends from work," she said.

"Dammit Mia. I can't stand it!" he snapped. "The looks and the sympathy that they give me. I'm a crippled man who can't do a damn thing! Can't play with my son and I can't please my wife and make things easier for you and everyone else!"

Amelia shook her head, "But you can! You make it sound like you'll be stuck in this chair forever! And you will if you keep thinking like that, Chris. You're improving so much and the doctors were taken by surprise when you regained feeling six weeks after you came home," she said.

Chris looked up at her and she sighed, reaching out to place her hand on his cheek. "Whatever the outcome is, I don't care. I love you and I'm not leaving you. You're my husband and the father of my son," she said softly, as tears filled her eyes.

He reached up and laid his hand against hers, "Even if I can't keep it up?" he asked, making her laugh.

"God, what is with you men and sex? I didn't marry you for sex and I don't care if we never have it again," she said, shaking her head.

"Bullshit."

Amelia sighed, "We can find ways around it, Chris. I'm not in any rush to jump your bones."

Chris sighed, "I'm sorry if I made you think that I doubted your feelings," he said.

"I'll just have to remind you everyday then," she said, before standing up.

Leaning over, Amelia kissed him gently. "Do you want me to stop seeing Cora?" he asked, when she pulled away.

Amelia shrugged, "It's up to you. I can't force you to make a choice, but I want you to talk to me. We're in this together, Chris. I can help you with healing and getting through this. Have a little faith in me," she begged.

He nodded, "I will," he promised, before kissing her again.

 


	7. The Birth of Andrew Thomas Pike

_The Birth of Andrew Thomas Pike_

"Amelia you're doing so good! Just keep breathing."

Amelia Pike wanted to kick the cheerful woman in the face to shut her up. To lift her foot out of the stirrups and deliver the biggest, nose-breaking kick would give her joy. But another contraction stopped her and made her scream, gripping the hand that held hers tightly.

"I'm going to kill you! Chris!" she screeched, before bearing down for another hard push.

The pain was unbearable as parts of her body began to stretch, allowing the child she carried for nine months to make its way into the world. At least she hoped it was a human child and not a big-headed monster.

"That's just the pain talking, Mia," Chris said, as he tried to loosen her grip on his hand.

She glared at him, "Shut up! You were the one that was all worried about the drugs making the bab-OWWWWW!"

Another push. Wild panting and a deep exhale. She had been going at this for hours now.

"What's taking so long! I want this kid out!" she snapped, as a nurse wiped her sweaty brow with a damp cloth.

"The first birth is always the hardest," she said, as Amelia let out a shaky breath. "It'll get easier once you have another."

Amelia snorted, "Who said we're having more?" she hissed.

The doctor looked up from between her legs, "I can feel the head," she announced.

"Oh goodie!" Amelia snapped, squirming as the doctor groped around her body.

"I need one more big push and hopefully the head will crown and then it'll be over and you'll have your baby," she said.

Amelia laid back against the rumpled pillows and looked up at the fluorescent lights above her. She was exhausted. And the fact that she was drenched in sweat and red in the face, made her feel unattractive around her husband.

"Mia you're almost there," he said, pushing her hair back.

She nodded quickly, "I know," she said, feeling smaller than ever. "It really hurts," she said, as her lips trembled.

"I know baby. I know it hurts and I'm sorry," he said, as her eyes filled with tears. "But it's almost over."

The nurse-Betty- watched them- the older man and his young wife- as they quietly spoke together. She knew that Christopher was someone of great importance, when he rushed into the room hours earlier frantic and dressed in his Starfleet instructors uniform. When he moved out of the room to call their family, Amelia told her that her husband was a Captain in Starfleet, taking time as a professor and recruiter for cadets.

" _You must be very proud of him," she said, setting the fetal heart monitor around her belly._

" _I am. He's so good at what he does and I am a very lucky girl," a wide grin plastered on her face._

"You're so brave and you're doing an amazing job, Mia. I'm so proud of you," Chris said, stroking her forehead.

The doctor peaked up at them, "Mia, on your next contraction I want you to bare down and push really hard, okay?" she asked.

Amelia kept her eyes on Chris and nodded, "Yes," she whimpered.

Betty and Chris helped her up and kept their arms around her, as she held onto both their hands. Chris gave her a kiss on the cheek and didn't wince at all when she gripped his hand tightly.

"One, two, three! Push!"

Amelia pressed her chin into her chest and pushed as hard as she could, as Betty counted to ten next to her. She felt a lot of pressure before the intense pain and tearing of flesh. She screamed as she pushed back into her husband's arm, her head thrown back.

"The head is crowning!" the doctor shouted, as the nurses moved about at the foot of the bed. "Here's another contraction-" the doctor started, as Amelia sat up again. "Go on! Push!"

Another push and more pain, before the announcement that the baby's head was out.

"I can't do anymore!" she sobbed, knowing how silly it sounded.

"Yes you can," Betty said, patting her shoulder. "Come on, honey. One more push and it'll be over!" she said.

"I'm so tired," she moaned, closing her eyes.

Chris gave her a light shake, "Amelia, one more push!" he said.

She opened her eyes and sat up slowly, "Okay. One more push," she said to herself, as the contraction came.

Bearing down with all her remaining energy, Amelia pushed as hard as she could. She could feel the baby leaving her body, the release of the pressure. And then she heard the most beautiful sound in the world, filling the room as her screams died down into gasping pants.

The shrill cry of a baby filled the room and she couldn't help but let out a tired laugh.

"It's a boy!" the doctor announced, holding him up for the new parents to see.

Chris beamed as he looked from his son to his wife, "A boy.." he whispered. "Oh Mia," he said, kissing her.

She couldn't help the fresh tears that fell from her eyes. The sudden happiness that filled her body, despite the fact that she was so sore and tired. Her husband gripped her face and kissed her again, as they both shed happy tears.

"Do you want to cut the cord, Daddy?" Betty asked, as she brought the surgical scissors over from the tray.

With a nod, Chris moved from Amelia's side and down to the foot of the bed, taking the scissors from Betty. Amelia watched through tired eyes, as the nurse showed him where to cut. With one snip, her baby boy was finally free from her body and moved to the small counter in the corner.

Chris was back at her side within seconds and holding her hand, as the doctor and nurse moved about to clean and stitch up his wife.

"Eight pounds. Ten ounces. Twenty –one and a half inches long," the nurse read out, as the screaming newborn laid on the cold scale.

"He's a big boy," Chris said, as the nurse cleaned him off and wrapped him in a fresh blanket.

Betty carried him over, smiling down at him. "He's a beautiful boy," she cooed, looking up at them. "And here's your Mommy and Daddy," she said, carefully laying the squirming baby into Amelia's arms.

As soon as Amelia laid eyes on him, she felt her heart swell with love. All the pain she'd felt and endured was worth it, as she held her baby boy.

"Oh my.." she said softly, as she ran her finger down his chubby arm.

When he gripped onto her finger with his little wrinkly hands, she began to cry again.

"So what are we calling this handsome little boy?" Betty asked, as she moved to grab the card from the table.

Amelia looked up at Chris and smiled, "Go on," she said.

Chris smiled and shook his head, "Andrew," he said, reaching out to touch the baby's nose. "Andrew Thomas Pike."

Betty smiled and wrote the name down, along with the date and time. She then moved to get the cart ready for the trip down to the nursery, allowing the new parents a few more minutes with their baby.

"We need to take him down to the nursery so we can clean you up," the doctor said a few minutes later, taking her seat back at the end of the bed.

Amelia nodded sadly as Andrew gurgled in her arms. "Oh.." she whispered.

"It'll only be an hour or two. We'll clean you up and make you presentable to your family outside," Betty said.

Reluctantly, Amelia handed Andrew over to Betty and watched as she carried him over to the cart. With a promise to return him shortly, Amelia watched as he was wheeled out of the room.

Chris gave her another kiss and started towards the door, "I'll let the others know the news," he said.

"Don't be too long," she said, as he moved to the door.

He smiled back at her, "I won't," he said, before stepping out.

Four hours later, Amelia laid in a new hospital bed watching as Chris held Andrew in his arms. It took a bit longer for the doctor to fix her up, after further examination showed that the baby had torn her apart during delivery. Now she laid with an icepack rested between her legs, as she dozed in and out of sleep. Shortly after settling into her room, visitors began to arrive. Admirals and friends from the Academy showed up with flowers and balloons. Elizabeth and Robert came by with the girls, whom fell instantly in love with their new cousin. Amelia's sister Brittany came by with flowers and a stuffed bear, and couldn't stop gushing over Andrew. Tomorrow would bring her parents and Chris's parents, and many other visitors. But for now, she enjoyed the silence.

"He's got your eyes," Chris said softly, as Andrew slept in his arms.

Amelia gave him a tired smile, "He's got your nose and your mouth."

Chris sighed, "He's going to be a handful for sure,' he said, making her giggle.

"You mean he's going to be loud and bossy? A wise-ass?"

He shook his head at her and moved from the chair to the bed, sitting down next to her. Amelia shifted into a upright position, wincing at the pain between her legs. Once she was situated and somewhat comfortable, Amelia rested her chin on Chris' shoulder and looked down at her sleeping son.

"He's perfect," she murmured.

Chris nodded, "He is," he responded, before turning to look at her. "So are you."

Amelia looked up at him, "Even after I threatened to kill you?" she asked.

He chuckled, "Even if you threatened to kick me off the planet," he said, before kissing her. "I mean it, Mia. Thank you."

"For what?" she asked.

"For giving me the best gift in the world," he said, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. "For having our baby and giving me the chance to be a father," he said.

Still on an emotional rollercoaster, Amelia felt her eyes tear up at his words. "Then let me thank you for giving him to me. And for making me a mommy."

He kissed her forehead and she gave a content sigh as she rested up against him, They sat quietly for a while, watching as Andrew slept in his father's arms. After a while, Amelia went to sleep and Chris moved back to the chair next to the bed and quietly spoke to Andrew.

"We've waited so long for you to come, Andrew," he said quietly, as the baby dozed. "Mommy and I are so happy that you're here. You and Mommy made me the happiest man in the world right now. I love you so much. More than the stars and the planets in the sky," he said, as Andrew gripped his finger.

Chris smiled and traced the little hand with his thumb and took in every feature of his son, enjoying the moment of silence between them.

 


	8. Family

_Family_

Amelia grew up in a small town outside of Boulder Colorado, with her parents and two siblings. Brittany and Tyler. The Knightley's lived a simple life in a small town, raised with morals and proper manners. Richard Knightley was a doctor with his own practice, working Monday through Friday nine to five. Molly Knightley was a former schoolteacher, who quit before Tyler was born.

As the years went on and the kids got older, things changed. While Tyler was the favorite to take over Richard's practice and Amelia was set to become a star in the dance world, Brittany took the role of the "problem child". As she and Amelia entered their teenage years, things drastically changed between them. Amelia was the ballerina, while Brittany experimented with underage drinking, smoking and promiscuous sex. Amelia had stellar grades while Brittany barely managed to pull a D out of her ass come finals week.

When Tyler announced that he would be switching his major to Anthropology, shit hit the fan. But before Richard and Molly could do anything about it, Tyler packed his bags and left Colorado. Afterwards, Amelia felt the pressure to be the "perfect" child, pushing herself in ballet. But when that ended, she felt like nothing. Her parents constantly told her that they were proud of her, but she found it difficult to believe. It wasn't until after she graduated from college and moved to San Francisco for a job, that she felt free from the pressure. But she could never stop the nagging feeling in her gut, that somehow after all these years and hard word, she failed to make her parents proud.

…..

Christopher grew up in many different places. He was the son of Jason and Tara Pike and the older brother to Elizabeth. His father was into politics and worked for the Federation, later becoming an Admiral. Tara was also a housewife, taking care of her two children, while functioning an active social calendar wherever the family went. Large portions of his teen years were spent at the family ranch in the Mojave Desert, watching over the horses and other animals on the grounds.

College came and went and Chris found himself in Starfleet, while Elizabeth had a chance to escape that life at nineteen. She met Richard and married him, running off to live in Los Angles for the first three years of their marriage. She didn't return to San Francisco until after Chris became Captain of the  _Yorktown._

As the years went by, he became an Uncle- twice at once- and lived like a bachelor. As he got older, his relationship with his parents changed. Jason always had a comment to make; while Tara sat back and kept her mouth shut after all that time. The only time Chris ever spoke to them was on holidays, birthdays and once in a blue moon.

…

When Amelia came into the picture and into his life, Chris welcomed the new addition to his family and the changes it brought. After three months of dating he knew bachelorhood was over and the time to settle down had arrived. Long gone were the days of take out, random hookups and being the third-wheel with his Elizabeth and Richard.

It amazed him at how quickly he accepted the idea of being with Amelia and waking up with her at his side. To grow older with her and possibly start a family with her. Watson, his ever-trustful companion, even grew to like the idea; sleeping between his two human owners in the middle of the night was one major factor that proved so.

His sister fell in love with her automatically and threated bodily harm if he fucked up. Richard adored her and promised to "beat the hell out of Chris", if he ever broke her heart. Their twins drew their lines when it came to Amelia. Arianna adored her immediately and demanded to know when she would visit every time she called. It took Isabella a while to get used to the idea that her Uncle had another woman in his life.

" _Your family loves me,"_ she said to him one night. " _I wonder why they never liked any of your other girlfriends."_

" _What other girlfriends?"_ he asked. " _You're the only girl in my life."_

…..

When they got married, their families met for the first time. Brittany automatically liked Chris, dubbing him "Captain Hot Pants". The nickname left Chris flustered and slightly embarrassed, because Amelia started calling him it as well.

" _Come on Captain Hot Pants, show me what you got!"_

Tyler managed to arrive in town from South Africa to see his baby sister and new husband, deeming him to be a "perfect mate" for her. Amelia swore up and down to beat him silly if he talked in his research voice around him, but hugged him nonetheless and begged him to come visit more often.

Elizabeth enjoyed meeting her sister-in-law's siblings, though she grew worried when Isabella became attached to Brittany and her tattoos and piercings. Arianna picked Tyler as her favorite and asked him many questions about primates and his travels.

But when Richard and Molly Knightley met Jason and Tara Pike, it was quite obvious that their views of the relationship their son and daughter had, were very different. While Richard and Molly were skeptical at how long the marriage would last-given Chris' occupation in Starfleet- they were glad that Amelia had someone to take care of her and start a family with. But Jason and Tara were absolutely against the entire idea of Chris being married, especially to a much younger woman.

Dinner was very awkward, as both families tried to get a general idea of what everyone did for a living. It wasn't until the kids were set with a movie in the basement, that the fight started. Jason suggested an annulment, calling their marriage a sham and "a result of drunken foolishness." Tara didn't say much, which was common, but did believe that Amelia wasn't good enough for her son.

Richard and Molly fought back, claiming that they had no right to talk about Amelia that way. Brittany yelled and cursed at Jason, before Tyler pulled her into the kitchen. Elizabeth shook her head at the entire scene, yelling at her mother for being so weak and letting "Daddy ruin everything!"

Finally Chris stood up from his seat and told his parents how he felt.

" _If you can't except the fact that I'm happy, then I don't want you in my house. You had total control of my life for far to long, Pop. I'm forty-four years old, I think I have the damn right to make my own choices! Amelia is my wife and I married her because I love her and she's good to me, just like I'm good to her. If you can't except that, leave."_

It would be a long time before the Knightley's and Pike's ever got together in the same room.

….

When Andrew Thomas Pike came home from the hospital, a sense of accomplishment ran through Chris' mind. At forty-seven, he was a first time father of a baby boy, and it was exciting and scary all at once. Andrew was the perfect image of his mother and father and a wriggling bundle of joy. All throughout Amelia's pregnancy, Chris made sure the entire house was baby-proofed and even trained Watson with a baby doll that he took from Elizabeth's house.

He wanted everything to be perfect for his child and made sure he read enough books, and asked his sister and Molly all the questions he had. Most of his friends were fathers to two or more children, remembering all the awful details of panic during the first few months of their children's lives. They thought it was hilarious at how serious Chris was about child rearing, telling them that Amelia would be doing most of the work.

" _This isn't the era when women stayed home to take care of their babies alone!"_

As Amelia reached the final stages of her pregnancy, the impending arrival of their baby made him panic. Many nights found him at Boyce's house, expressing his doubts and fears about having a child so late in the game. When Amelia finally confronted him of his awkward behavior, he spilled to her and she giggled.

" _I'm just as worried as you are, Chris. But we've had lots of practice with Isabella and Arianna when they spend time here, and they've made it out alive. We'll have our ups and downs, but we can do this,"_ she said one morning, as they sat outside in the backyard. " _Besides, it's far to late for you to change your mind. I'd kill you before you got the chance to run."_

The first night at home with Andrew aged Chris faster than he could've ever imagined. He wasn't used to jumping out of bed so quickly at all hours of the night, or having a screaming baby down the hall. As much as he wanted Amelia to get her rest and start her recovery from the difficult delivery, he was always glad to have a helping hand when it was his turn to check on Andrew.

It wasn't until the fourth night of the week; long after Chris gave him his bottle and burped him that he managed to rock him to sleep.

" _This isn't so bad- you and me. We can do this, Andrew. How hard could it be to mess this up?"_

…

After the Narada and Nero, Chris realized how messed up everything became. Succumbed to a wheelchair and hardly any feeling in his legs, Amelia had more than just a baby to take care of. Immediately after he's released from the hospital, Elizabeth and Brittany swoop in and start helping out.

The first few months are difficult, as Amelia juggles a growing baby and a disabled husband. By Thanksgiving, Brittany moves into the guestroom and becomes a temporary nanny to her nephew. Amelia extends her maternity leave at work, to which her boss is understanding and only asks that she keep her updated.

Doctors visits, physical therapy and altering both their home and his office, takes it toll on them. Fights erupt and Amelia promises to kill him if he doesn't shut his mouth, as Brittany slips out of the house with Andrew.

When Molly hears about their latest fight- this one over a difficult session at PT and wanting to be left alone- she calls Amelia and begs her to come home with Andrew.

" _I am so sick and tired of people telling me what I should do! He's my husband and I am not leaving him!"_

_"Amelia look how angry you are! How exhausting it must be to take care of Andrew and of a cripple! We only want what's best for you and the baby!"_

" _You know what? Go fuck yourself, mom! Don't fucking call here again if you're going to criticize my fucking husband!"_

Chris overhears the fight and she catches him by the doorway of the kitchen.

" _I just told my mother to go fuck herself. That is how much you mean to me, Chris. I am willing to cut off contact with the people who think I should leave. You are driving me insane with your attitude and I've had enough of it. Stop being a fucking bitch and suck it up! Life's a goddamn bitch and then you die! I did PT and I turned out fine, so stop your whining, grow some goddamn balls and do it!"_

Afterwards, they never fought about his rehab again.

….

Two years later, Catherine Elizabeth Pike came into the world. She was an unexpected but welcomed surprise, resulting from a long drought between Amelia and Chris. She was dubbed a "Miracle Baby", seven weeks after her conception. All throughout the pregnancy, Amelia would catch Chris grinning like a fool whenever she was in his sight.

" _Look at you and that shit eating grin. You look like the cat that caught the canary, Christopher."_

" _I caught more than the canary, Amelia."_

His co-workers and friends couldn't help but tease them about the conception of their baby girl, and Jim Kirk couldn't help but let his mouth drop when he called their house one night, late into the pregnancy.

" _I see you've been busy, Sir."_

After her birth, Catherine came home to a purple room and consuming love. Her cousins fought for her attention and each claimed that Catherine would love one more than the other. Elizabeth was given the title of godmother, while Brittany gave herself the role of "awesome aunt" and promised to have purple streaks in her hair by the time she hit two.

It was Catherine's birth that brought Tara closer to her son and daughter-in-law. While Jason still remained distant, though throwing his two cents in on how they should raise Andrew, Tara took to her role as Grandmother seriously. She managed to fix the relationships she had with her two children, as well as her grandbabies.

" _I wish I told you sooner, Amelia. I never had any problems with you marrying Christopher, and I can see how happy you've made him. Nothing I say can fix the hurt I've caused you two and to Andrew. But I do hope you can give me a chance and let me be a part of their lives."_

Amelia silenced her with a hug and Tara Pike shed the first set of tears that she'd ever seen from the woman. Christopher was hesitant at first at his mothers visit and figured she would leave first thing in the morning, but when they came down for breakfast and found her cooking at the stove, he knew that her words were true.

" _I love you, Mom."_

" _I love you too, my sweet boy."_

…

On their first night home alone, Amelia and Chris managed to clean most of the house, have a nice dinner and relax in total peace on the couch. The kids were with Elizabeth, Richard and the girls for the night and Brittany was at her own apartment across town. While most parents dreamed of total silence, Amelia and Chris felt awkward without the noise.

" _I can't remember the last time we had total silence like this. No screaming babies, Disney movies or shouting."_

" _I can't remember the last time I saw this carpet. I remember putting it down but after that it gets all hazy."_

By eleven they managed to undress one another, in hopes to get through a quickie, before collapsing into bed. But when they hit the pillows, both realized that neither would get lucky that night.

" _Would you be mad if we just cuddled?"_

" _Tomorrow morning?"_

" _Maybe. As long as you promise no "Miracle babies" become the result of this. I want to wait at least a year or two."_

The lights went out and they snuggle under the blankets and against each other, too exhausted to get dressed. The nights of long, passionate sex are gone for now, but not forgotten. And they're getting older. She's almost thirty-six and Chris is pushing fifty-one, though they hardly look a day over thirty and forty-respectfully. But their ages are slowly catching up to them, and while it scares them both; getting older, they try to push the thought of aging to the back of their minds. For now, on this quiet evening in July, they manage to get through a night of no interruptions. For tomorrow, they would wake up refreshed and ready to take on whatever adventure's that would come their way.


	9. Vacations

_Vacations_

**_1._ **

Ten months into their relationship, Chris and Amelia were so far in love and head over heels for each other. Despite their work schedules- nine hours for her and fluctuating shifts for him- they managed to keep their romance alive with late dinners, evenings at each others homes and weekends shacked up. When Chris realized that they both had the same week off for spring break, he jumped at the idea of taking her away. They both desperately needed it, with midterms coming up for his cadets and state exams for the middle school.

The weather had been dreary for the last couple of weeks, with rain and a bitter chill that enveloped San Francisco. He spent his lunch hour skimming through websites, pulling out different locations that would be much better than what they were living in. He thought about taking her off planet to one of the various exotic worlds that he was fortunate enough to visit, but he pushed the idea off. He wasn't even sure if Amelia would want to leave Earth, despite how interested she was in Chris' work and how his day went.

When Amelia came by his house around six, she was drenched and shivering. The rain was relentless throughout the day, which caused the Academy to cancel their night courses Chris greeted her at the door with a kiss and took her wet coat and overnight bag. She went upstairs to dry off and change, while he tossed her clothes into the dryer. He was in the kitchen finishing dinner when she came back down dressed in her loungewear.

"I see you've stolen my clothes," he said, as she leaned against the counter.

Amelia looked down at the shirt and smiled, "I thought you liked it when I wore your clothes?" she asked.

"I do," he picked up the bottle of wine and grabbed a glass for her. "But I also like them on my bedroom floor."

She snorted and took the glass for him, "Maybe tonight they'll end up on the living room floor!"

His eyebrows rose, "Is that a promise?" he asked, as she took a sip from her glass.

"Lets see how much wine you get into me," she grinned. "I probably wont even make it up the stairs."

He presented the idea a few hours later, both in a post-coital daze on the sofa.

"A vacation?"

He nodded, "I figured since we both have off the same week for spring break," he shifted against the cushions. "We could escape this awful weather and spend seven days alone."

She smiled, "I like how you think," she kissed him. "Where are we going?"

"Depends," he shrugged. "Where do you want to go?"

Amelia thought for a moment, "Somewhere hot," she kissed his shoulder. "And somewhere that we don't have to wear any clothes and do exactly what we're doing now."

He chuckled, "How does Barcelona sound?" he asked, as she kissed his collarbone.

"Hmmm, I'd save that trip for another time," she kissed his jaw. "Too pretty to stay locked up for a week."

"Argentina?"

Amelia rolled over so that she could straddle his hips, "I don't know Spanish," she grinned.

"Hawaii? We could rent a little villa far from the others and do exactly what we are doing now," he said, gripping her hips.

She grinned and leaned down to kiss him, "When do we leave?"

…..

The left two days later on Saturday, reaching the island of Maui by noon. Seven days in a tiny villa on the beach sounded like a dream, as they tumbled into the big and bouncy bed. Thanking their lucky stars that the villa was the furthest away from the others, the couple was able to be as loud as they pleased, spending most of the day in bed. By the time the sun started to set and they woke up from a post-coital nap, they ate and went down to the beach for snorkeling and taking in the beauty of the island.

By the middle of the week, they decided to go out and enjoy what the island had to offer. They saw exotic animals and flowers, plantations from the olden days of Hawaii's history. They did a little shopping and ate at a nice restaurant, watching from the balcony as a birthday party took place below.

"Hmm, what do you think of a coconut bra?" she asked, turning her attention back to him.

"Will you have the grass skirt to go with it?" he asked, knowing that by the time they returned to the villa, coconut bras and grass skirts wouldn't matter.

By the time Saturday rolled around, they were sad to leave. They took their time with packing, since the shuttle didn't leave until early the next morning. Their final day consisted of relaxing on the beach and lazy sex. Both realized that once they returned to a wet and dreary San Francisco, they would be all sexed out for a while. When they boarded the shuttle early the next morning, they quietly said goodbye to the island that spiced up their relationship and slept the entire flight back home. It would be quite sometime before they went on another vacation.

**_2._ **

"You really want to come all the way to Alabama?" Chris asked.

Amelia was perched at the edge of their bed, watching as he moved to and from the closet.

"Why not?" she shrugged, as he folded up a pair of sleep pants. "I can already see how bored you'll be when you're not recruiting potential cadets."

Just six months shy of their two-year anniversary, the last major vacation they took since Hawaii was a weekend trip to Napa for her twenty-eighth birthday. That was over three weeks ago, and already Chris wanted another weekend alone with her. While the trip to Alabama was for Starfleet purposes only, there wasn't much entertainment in the town of Woodland, with a population of 209. Luckily, he was only being sent out for the weekend.

"Fine," he said, watching as she clapped her hands and scrambled to her feet. "But don't say I didn't warn you when you start complaining about how hot it is and how bored you are!"

And sure enough, she did complain about the heat. And how the only interesting thing near the motel consisted of a yarn shop. While Chris and the other recruiters spent the day interviewing hopefuls, Amelia stayed at the motel and ventured out to see what the town had to offer. But with the thick, heavy heat and the smell of cow shit, she stayed inside.

"Don't you even think about opening that window!" she warned the first night they were there.

"Amelia, it's almost a hundred degrees outside!" Chris exclaimed.

"It also smells like shit outside!"

So they suffered through the night, sweating bullets as they stripped from their clothes and laid still. The next morning, after they took showers and dressed for the day, the couple was snappy at one another. The heat had gotten to them real bad, as they went about their day. Chris was utterly bored at work, waiting to interview the very few people that showed up.

By the time Sunday rolled around, both Chris and Amelia were pleased to finally leave the hellhole. They packed their things and headed towards the shuttle port, waiting for the six o'clock shuttle in silence. As Amelia stood by the windows, watching as the shuttles landed and took off, Chris made his way over to her. Wrapping his arm around her waist, he turned his attention to the shuttles.

"Do you want to get married?"

Startled, Amelia turned to look up at him. "What?" she asked frowning.

"Lets get married," he said, smiling softly at her.

Reaching up, Amelia touched his forehead. "Are you feeling alright? Is this a symptom of heat stroke?" she asked, growing worried.

He chuckled and pulled her hand away from his face, "No, no," he shook his head. "I'm serious, Mia. Lets get married."

She stared at him, her lips slightly parted and her eyes wide. "Do you want to get married?" he asked, suddenly worried that his question caught her off guard.

A few seconds later, she smiled and nodded. "Yes," she reached up to kiss him. "I'll marry you."

**_3._ **

Alaska was appealing to the eye, as Amelia opened the curtains to expose the early morning sun. She pressed her hand against the glass and smiled, taking in the mountains in the distance and the endless trails of snow and pine trees. Six hours after arriving via-shuttle, the newlywed was finally getting the chance to see the landscape of Alaska for the first time. It was she who picked out the honeymoon destination, picking it from a bowl of various other options.

"Chris, come look at this!" she said, peering over her shoulder at the bed. "It's beautiful out there."

She heard the bed creak and a groan, as Chris climbed out of bed. Shuffled footsteps against the carpet and a few seconds later, he had his arms around her waist. Kissing the side of her head, Chris rested his chin on the bedraggled curls and looked out the window.

"Look at that," he gasped, as the birds flew over the trees in the distance. "You picked a good one."

She grinned, "I've never seen anything so magical in my life," she shook her head. "Colorado is seriously lacking at their ski resorts."

Amelia then turned around and wrapped her arms around his neck, "So, what do you want to do today? We have a whole week and we can hit all the spots before going home," she smiled.

They had been married for a little over sixteen hours after a three month engagement, and barely made it through the door without tearing each other's clothes off. While they would spend the week doing what most newlyweds did, they also wanted to explore. They had been together for almost three years, and had already experienced a "newlywed" like stage of their relationship. They were a bit older from when they first met- twenty-eight and forty-four- and more mature as their relationship grew.

"How about we eat some breakfast," he pushed her hair away from her face. "And then we can go out and take a walk."

As the week wore on, the couple took their time getting up in the morning, eating breakfast in bed before getting dressed and venturing out to explore the wildlife and nature. They window shopped in the small town that was ten minutes away from their cabin, and absorbed as much of the Alaskan culture as they could. When it was time to leave, they made a promise to return in the near future. Sure enough, two years later, they returned to that exact cabin for Chris' forty-sixth birthday. It was on that vacation that they left with a little more than relaxation, when Amelia found out twelve weeks later that she was pregnant.

**_4_ **

As the years went by, and their family grew, Amelia and Chris found it difficult to get a weekend alone together. Their vacations consisted of staying home from work with their children- Andrew, Catherine and Emma- taking a day trip to Disney with Robert, Elizabeth and the girls. After Narada and the uncertainty of what would happen with Chris during his rehabilitation, vacations were the last thing on their mind. Once he started walking again, and Andrew was old enough to be put into daycare, Amelia went back to work for six months before she learned of her pregnancy with Catherine.

Now, eight years later, Amelia and Chris were desperate for a break. Andrew was nine, hitting that stage when all he wanted to do was hang out with his friends instead of his sisters and parents. Catherine had just turned six and was still in her sweet stage of childhood. But Amelia knew the rebellion stage was drawing near, much to her displeasure. Luckily, Emma was still young enough to carry all the innocence between her siblings. At three, Emma was the ray of sunshine of the three Pike children. She obtained her fathers blonde hair and bluish grey eyes, while inheriting her smile and need to be on her feet at all times. While Chris had a strong sense of pride in all of his children, calling them his great accomplishments in life, Emma was the apple of his eye.

"Do you think they'll be alright?" Amelia asked.

Chris took her hand in his and smiled at her, "They'll be fine," he assured her. "Rob and Liz can handle them and the twins. I know Isabella and Arianna were desperate to get their hands on the girls."

Amelia nodded, "I know. It's just weird not having them around and not having to be needed for everything."

"It's only a week, honey. They'll survive and so will you."

She smiled up at him, resting her palm against his face. At fifty-nine, he was still has handsome as he was the first day she met him. His hair was nearly white now, with a few streaks of grey and he had more stress lines on his face mixed with the laugh lines. But overall, he still looked the same. She changed over the years too, with having three babies and working to take care of the house. At forty-four, Amelia still felt like she was in her twenties. Her body was curvier and she had a few grey streaks in her hair, which was a bit shorter than the usual waist length she wore for so many years. Chris joked that the kids kept her in shape, with the constant running back and forth to get this ones toy or a cup of juice for the other. While their kids tired them out, they were lucky that their age didn't affect their sex life.

"I know," she kissed him. "Now, where are you taking me?"

They moved down the cobblestoned path, the sound of music growing louder and louder as they walked. "We're too old for a club," she said.

Chris chuckled, "Me in a club?" he asked, as they turned the corner. "A street festival? Yes."

Amelia gasped, "Oh baby.." she shook her head. She took in the sights and smells, as the natives of Barcelona crowded the streets. The colors were vibrant, tapestries covering the lampposts and strands of lights hanging everywhere. "This is amazing."

He wrapped his arm around her waist, "Come on," he pulled her forward. "Tonight, we get to act like love struck teens. Minus the hangovers."

She giggled, "And lots of naughty behavior afterwards?" she asked, brushing up against him.

Chris cleared his throat, "Still a minx after all these years," he shook his head.

**_Six weeks later._ **

"CHRIS!"

Chris quickly jumped at the sound of his wife screaming from upstairs, quickly moving Emma off his lap and onto the couch

"Mommy's calling," he said, as she protested. "I'll be right back."

Moving quickly up the stairs, Chris made his way down the hall to their bedroom.

"Mia?" he called out, stepping into the room.

A few seconds later she appeared in the doorway of their bathroom, her eyes wide and her face flushed.

"What's wrong?" he asked, making his way over to her. "Did one of the kids leave something in the bathroom again?"

Amelia shook her head, "Then what happened?" he asked, wrapping his arm around her waist.

She lifted her hand up and Chris looked down, his eyes growing wide. "Is that?" he asked, as she nodded.

"I'm pregnant."

Chris stared at the pink lines on the test, which flashed over and over again. A few seconds later, he looked at her and gave her a small smile.

"Next time we go on vacation," he pushed her hair away from her face. "We're packing enough contraceptives to last us the entire time."

She fell against his chest, wrapping her arms around him tightly. "No more vacations until my uterus shrivels up," she sniffed. "I'm always getting pregnant when we finally go on one."

Chris chuckled, "That's true," he rubbed her back. "But I think the result is always wonderful."

Amelia looked up at him, "Yes," she nodded. "They really are."

 


	10. Sick

_Sick_

**_1._ **

Amelia groaned and pulled her legs up to her chest, breathing deeply as the pain ripped through her stomach. A cool hand came into contact against her bare shoulder, rubbing her hot skin softly.

"Still hurts?"

"Oh god, "she groaned, burying her head into the leg it rested upon. "Just kill me now. Let me die!"

Chris snorted, "I'm not going to kill you, Mia," earning a partial growl that turned into a whine. "Did you take anything?" he asked.

She shook her head, "I can' t keep anything down."

"Just keep breathing through the pain, " he said, moving to stand up. "I'll go make some tea."

As he disappeared into the kitchen, Amelia laid on the couch gripping her stomach tightly. Gritting her teeth, she panted lightly as the creeping feeling of nausea started up again. With a shuddering gasp, she jumped off the couch and flew down the hall, scrambling into the bathroom and over the toilet.

"Mia!"

Chris was met with the sound of gagging and whimpering, as he quickly moved down the hall to the bathroom. Once he spotted his her kneeling over the toilet, he quickly moved into action. He grabbed a cup by the sink and filled it with water, grabbing a towel and crouching down next to her.

"Drink this slowly," he said, holding the cup next to her mouth. "That's it, easy."

Amelia took one sip before gagging, her head quickly hovering the toilet as the water ended up in with the rest of the contents of her stomach. Chris cursed lightly, as she started to sob.

"It hurts! It hurts!" she cried, coughing and spitting the vile substance from her mouth.

"I'm taking you to the hospital," he said, standing up. "You're burning up and I can't even get any liquid into you."

She didn't protest as he used the house console to dial Starfleet Medical, requesting an immediate appointment with Philip Boyce. Ten minutes later, Amelia was lying in a hospital bed, hooked up to an IV and watching as Chris and his friend spoke quietly at the foot of her bed.

"I'm right here you know," she mumbled, as they both turned to look at her. "Last time I checked, I was the patient."

 

Philip chuckled, "Chris was just telling me about your symptoms," he said, as she huffed.

"I know my rights!"

Chris snorted, "This isn't a holding cell," he moved to her side. "How are you feeling?" he asked, pushing her hair away from her face.

"Like shit," she sighed, closing her eyes as his hand caressed the side of her face.

Philip pulled a chair over and sat down, pulling her file up on the PADD. "When did this start?" he asked, looking up at her.

"I came home Thursday and felt a little funny; nauseous and a really bad headache. Went to be around seven and woke up this morning feeling worse."

Chris nodded, "Had one bite of toast and ended up hugging the toilet for two hours, before taking a short nap. Then I got her to eat some soup, but then she got worse."

Philip nodded, "Amelia, when was your last period?" he asked, tapping away at the PADD.

The teacher and captain both gasped, eyes wide as they stared at each other. Philip looked up when he didn't receive an answer, his eyes glancing between the two. Amelia shook her head, "Uh, January 12th," she cleared her throat.

Philip nodded as he took the information down, before setting the PADD onto the table. "I'm going take some blood and run a few tests," he moved to grab the needed supplies. "I should know in a few hours what's causing your discomfort."

Chris and Amelia watched in silence as the blood was drawn and placed into test bags, and remained in silence as Philip left the room. Finally, once the shock started to wear off, Chris finally spoke.

"What if you're pregnant?"

Amelia rested her head back against the stiff pillows, "Then this kid is grounded until they're eighteen."

When she didn't hear him laugh, her concern grew. Turning to look at him, she reached out for his hand, which he took quickly. "What would we do?" she asked.

Chris shrugged and the question. They'd been together for almost nine months and she'd recently moved into his place, which caused their close friends and his sister to whisper about a wedding in the future. While they were all caught up in the sudden shift from living apart to together, they never talked about children.

"Do you want kids?" he asked, as she played with the edge of her medical gown.

Amelia shrugged, "I'd like to have one or two," she said quietly, glancing up at him.

Chris nodded, "If you're pregnant we'll get through it," he shrugged. "How bad could it be?"

"Is that your way of saying you want kids?" she asked, frowning slightly.

Moving from the chair up to the bed, Chris wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "Yes. This is my way of saying I want kids."

Two hours later, Philip returned with results. It was the flu, most likely picked up from one of her students. No baby. Once Phil was assured that Amelia could keep some food and a decent amount of liquid down, he signed off her release with a doctor's note for work, antibiotics and Chris' word that he would make sure she got enough rest.

"I don't want to see you back here for this!" he warned, as Chris walked her out of the room.

Once they returned to the house, Amelia was tucked into bed in fresh pajamas and loaded up on the first dose of her medicine. Chris set a bucket next to the bed and turned the ceiling fan on to cool her off.

"I'll be back with tea and I'll join you," he said, kissing her head lightly. "We still need to talk about our baby situation."

 

She smiled softly, "Good," she nodded. "Because your answer has to be a lot more convincing than that, Chris."

**_2._ **

A wet hacking cough filled the bedroom, followed by a stream of curses, as the Captain pulled the blankets up over his head.

"Come on, Chris," Amelia said softly. "One more and I'll leave you alone."

The blankets moved down and he peeked out at her, watching as she stirred the flavorless broth around with the spoon, making him shudder.

"That should be banned from this world," he said, eyeing the bowl with disgust.

She snorted, "I know, but Phil said you need to eat it," she shifted on the bed. "It's loaded with vitamin boosters."

Chris groaned as he pushed the blankets down, sitting up slowly. He allowed her to spoon-feed him the foul meal, already planning the message he would send to Phil later that evening. Pleased, Amelia set the spoon back onto the tray and stood up, moving to the dresser. She then moved back to the bed and held the blankets up as he snuggled down under them.

"I'll give you this," she said, picking up the hypospray. "And then you can take a nap and if you eat a little bit of dinner, I'll give you ice cream."

Chris snorted before his body was seized with a hacking cough, groaning as his lungs rattled in his chest. Amelia rubbed his back softly, reaching out for the jar of vapo-rub.

"I told you to wear a coat," she shook her head, rubbing the eucalyptus scented cream on his chest and under his nose. "Next time you'll listen to me."

"Yes, Mom," he coughed.

Once the hypospray was administered, Chris was tumbling into unconsciousness.

**_3_ **

The first time Amelia and Chris got sick together, ended up being the best time of their lives. Andrew and Catherine had both gotten over their bought with the strep throat and bronchitis with a week home from school and a run down mother. When Monday morning rolled around, Amelia woke up with a sore throat as two energetic kids ran around the house.

Once the kids were off on the bus to school, Chris woke up with a nasty cough and fever. By eleven, they were both in bed shivering, coughing and groaning in pain.

"They took us down," Amelia groaned, wincing at the pain in her throat. "This is a first."

Chris coughed, "I thought they loved us."

Amelia reached for her now cold tea, taking a quick sip to ease the pain. "Should I call Liz? Have her pick up the kids from school?"

"I say leave them there," he groaned, pulling the blanket up. "They got us into this mess."

When two o'clock rolled around, Chris and Amelia were passed out. Both woke with startled reactions- a cough from him and a groan from her- as their children ran around downstairs. Ten minutes later, Liz was standing in the doorway to their bedroom, chuckling at the sight of them.

"I'll make some tea and bring medicine up," she said, before disappearing.

Once they had medicine in their system and tea in their hands, the couple sat up in bed with the support of many pillows, as they told Liz what the kids could and couldn't eat.

"Make sure they're in bed by eight and that all their homework is done," Chris said, coughing into a tissue.

"Are you sure you're alright with this? You don't have to take them for the week," Amelia said, before taking another sip of tea.

Liz pulled the curtains closed, "It'll be fine! You two need your rest so I can return to over-excited children to their parents on Sunday."

Andrew and Catherine came up a few minutes later, standing in the doorway of their bedroom. Liz stood behind them, watching as they said goodbye and promised to be good and mind their manners.

"We're sorry for making you sick," Andrew said, looking down at his feet.

"It's alright baby," Amelia said. "It was bound to happen someday."

Liz bent down to pick Catherine up, "Alright kiddies! Lets get going!"

"Bye Mommy! Bye Daddy!" Catherine squealed, waving at them.

Chris gave her a weak wave, "Bye Princess," he murmured, covering his mouth to quiet the cough.

When the front door slammed shut, they were left alone in a quiet house for the first time in two years. The spent the first half of the week sleeping on and off, before making their way downstairs to eat and make more tea. They showered and changed the sheets on their bed, before bundling back up after large doses of hypos and watched television. By the time Friday rolled around, they both started feeling better. Chris' cough was less prominent and Amelia's throat wasn't as sore as it was on Monday.

"This is the longest we've been away from the kids since Catherine was born," Chris pointed out that night, as they played a game of cards on their bed.

Amelia chuckled, "What a wonderful vacation," she picked up a car. "Two of us tucked up in bed, unconscious for most of it."

"I'm surprised we haven't killed each other yet," he reached for the mug of tea. "We're both miserable when we're sick. I figured that together we'd rip each other apart."

Pulling her hair up into a bun, Amelia set her handful of cards to the side and laid back against the pillows. "Good thing we didn't," she sighed. "I'd miss you too much."

She then grinned, beckoning him over with her fingers. "Hi," she whispered, as he leaned over her, giggling as he kissed her cheek.

"How about," he kissed her shoulder. "We do our own "medical healing" and go to bed?" he asked.

Amelia bit her lip, trying to suppress the moan that ultimately escaped. "I'd like that a lot," she gasped, as his fingers moved under the hem of her shirt. "I'd really like that."

**_4_ **

"Mommy's tired, Cat."

"No! I wanna play with Mommy!"

Chris sighed as the three year old stomped her foot, crossing her arms at her chest and pouting. Andrew took off running to the living room when his sister started her temper tantrum, leaving Chris alone to deal with it.

"Catherine Elizabeth!" he warned, as she let out a shriek.

"I WANT MOMMY!"

Then the tears started, rolling down her face in fat blobs. He bent down and scooped her up into his arms, kissing her chubby cheeks as she wiggled around.

"She's sleeping, baby," he said, trying to calm her down. 

"Now she's awake."

Chris turned to find Amelia shuffling into the kitchen, yawning as she made her way over to them. "What's wrong, Kitty Cat?"

Catherine leaned forward, holding her arms out and making a grabbing motion with her hands. Amelia took her into her arms and kissed the side of her head, wiping the tears.

"I want to play," she whimpered.

"Okay," Amelia said softly, setting her down on the floor. "Go to the play room and I'll meet you there in a minute."

Catherine took off running, yelling for Andrew to come with her. Once their footsteps could be heard on the staircase, they both let out a sigh.

"You should be sleeping," Chris said, as she stepped closer to him. "Doctors orders."

 

Amelia laughed against his chest, "When has Phil or Leonard's orders ever stopped me?" she asked, her eyes twinkling. "Or you?"

Chris chuckled, "That's true," he shrugged. "But who knew this would be the result of a week cooped up in bed?"

She looked down as Chris rubbed her ever-expanding belly, the tiny mound stretching outwards. Placing her hand on top of his, they both felt the tiny flutter within, pushing against their joined hands.

"I hope to god I feel better when the third trimester starts," she groaned, resting her head against his shoulder. "I'd like to keep all that food down for once."

"Did you take your vitamins today?" he asked, suddenly remembering how late it was.

She nodded, "I did. All twelve of them," she made a face. "Next time we fool around, we really need to do it safely. I don't think I can do another nine months of this."

He chuckled, "Next time we're sick for a week, we'll sleep in different rooms."

"MOMMY!"

Amelia laughed, "Come on," she took his hand into hers. "Lets get these kids tired out so I can go to bed."

 


	11. Dreams and Reality.

**Dreams**

It's the first time in four years that Amelia dreamt about her husband dying. Shortly after the Narada and his return home, Amelia would have tiny nightmares that involved her husband being killed in the destruction of the Romulan ship. Sometimes he would die in surgery, as Leonard McCoy tried to remove the bug that latched onto his spinal cord. Sometimes he would die in the hospital on Earth, suffering from a blood clot that had been missed in a scan. Not once did Amelia ever tell Chris about these nightmares, especially since his were worse. He dreamt about torture and dying on a leaky ship, never to see her or Andrew again.

So, when the next set of dreams start re-appearing four years later, just as Chris is set to travel to London for a week, Amelia tries to keep them hidden. Some nights she wakes up with a gasp, glancing over at her husband to see if it woke him up. Some nights it doesn't and on others it does, to which she claims it's from a cramp in her leg or that she felt like she was falling off the bed. He mumbles something about sleeping with the holo-vids on and leans over to kiss her cheek, before falling back into a somewhat peaceful slumber.

On the night before he's due to leave, Amelia has the worst dream. It feels real as all hell, as she walks through the house; Andrew running about and little Catherine sitting in the playpen. Everyone she knows; friends, family and members of Starfleet, are filtering in and out of the den. They all wear black or the standard stiff grey uniform that Starfleet officers and officials wear when someone has fallen.

She can hear the whispers and the sobs. She can see the tears on Chris' mother's face, along with his sister. Jim Kirk is standing by the fireplace with Leonard McCoy, both wearing those damn suits. They spot her and Jim makes his way over to her, stopping to stand before her.

" _Mrs. Pike- Amelia,"_ he corrects himself.  _"I'm so sorry.."_

And she frowns because the last time Kirk apologized to her, was years ago when Chris was discharged from the hospital after Leonard and Boyce looked him over. He made a joke about canes and how beneficial they would be when they got back into the swing of things, suggesting that roleplaying would boost his deflated ego-amongst other things.

" _Admiral Pik- Chris,"_ he shakes his head. " _Your husband was a great man. I know I caused him a lot of stress and the increase of grey hairs.. but I was grateful for every single thing he did for me."_

Then Leonard's behind him, " _Jim.."._ His voice is gruff, rich with emotion, as he glances at her.

" _We'll find the man who did this to him,"_ Jim promises.  _My crew are searching London now and we're going be joining them shortly."_

_London._

It's then, that Amelia turns to look around at everyone crowded in her den. The black and grey, mixed with whispers and sobs. Then it dawns on her, as she looks down at her own clothing; a black dress that she wore out to a dinner that Chris took her on, shortly after breaking the news to him that she was pregnant with their first child. Chris always liked this dress, the way it hugged her body in all the right places. It's also the same dress in which he fucked her through the mattress later that night, to wound up and excited up to rip it off her.

And now she's standing in their den- hers now- wearing that dress for his funeral. Her husband is dead and it has something to do with London. The killer is still on the loose and Jim-  _dammit-_ Jim stares at her with those blue eyes, watching as she processes his information.

" _It was so quick, Amelia. The bomb and everything after that,"_ he shakes his head. " _But I know he was thinking about you and the kids, and how he couldn't wait to go home to see you all."_

Then she's backing away from him, watching, as his face turns from distressed to confused. She quickly turns on her heels and runs to the door, ignoring the shouts of _Amelia_ and Andrew and Catherine's cries of  _Mommy! Mama!._ Within seconds, she's out the door and tumbling into consciousness.

Of course, her first reaction is to quickly reach out for her husband. But instead, she meets the cold mattress, meaning that he didn't come up to bed yet. Quickly, she kicks the blankets off and tears through the bedroom and hallway, down the stairs and to his office. Amelia finds him sitting behind his desk, wearing his glasses and skimming through a few last minute details on a PADD.

He quickly looks up as she bursts into the office, "Honey?" he sets the PADD down, as she moves forward. "What are you doing up?"

Amelia ignores him as she moves around the desk, to which he pushes his chair back. Within seconds, she's in his arms and on his lap, holding onto him for dear life.

"Baby, baby," he whispers, as she buries her face into his neck. "What's wrong?"

"Don't go to London," she begs, pulling back to look at him. "Please don't go. Don't go."

He frowns, "What? Mia, I have to go," he says, as she grips onto his shoulders. "What happened?"

She whimpers, "Just.. don't go! Call Archer and tell him you can't go."

Chris sighs, "Tell me what's wrong," he shifts underneath her. "Baby, you can't come storming in here, telling me to stay home and then not tell me why."

Amelia looks down at the ratty old shirt he's wearing, the faded text that once read his high schools name and something with a bulldog.

"I had this awful, awful dream," she shakes her head. "Something bad is going to happen in London and you're not going to come home."

"Oh honey," he pushes her hair over her shoulders. "Of course I'm going to come home! The only bad thing that will happen in London, are all the ridiculous meetings I'll have to sit through and the rain."

But she doesn't laugh at his misfortune and starts to cry, "Don't go!" she wails, pressing her face into his shirt. She knows how ridiculous she's being and how childish she looks right now, crying like a baby and clutching onto him for dear life. But she doesn't care, because the dream felt so real and she almost lost him once. That alone is something she doesn't want to experience again, in this life and in the next.

Chris struggles to get up, since Amelia makes no motion to remove herself, and carries her out of his office and up the stairs to their bedroom. It's taken a few practice trials over the last four years for him to even carry her a short distance, let alone to the second floor of their house. But once he has her in bed, tucked under the blankets and in his arms, he silences her with kisses and promises that he'll be fine and that come Friday morning, he'll be back at home with her and the kids.

**Reality**

It's Wednesday and Chris has been gone for three days. Amelia only let him leave after making him swear that he would call when the shuttle landed in London and again when he got to the hotel. Then she made him promise that he'd call before dinner and before bed.

" _Amelia_ ," he groaned, cradling her face in his hands. " _I will call, write, whatever you want_ ," he promised.

He kissed her and the kids goodbye, promising to bring them back a gift or ten, because he loves spoiling his wife and kids with trinkets from all the places he's been to. The children also know that Kirk and the others will be with their Daddy, which means extra gifts and pre-recorded messages from them as well. Since they welcomed Andrew and Catherine into the world, the senior officers of the  _Enterprise,_ adopted the roles of Uncles and Aunt; they still looked up to the man that was their captain for a short time, risking his life to save theirs and Earth. They all love his wife and his two babies, making sure to stop at their house whenever the ship is docked for refits or breaks.

The kids go to daycare, while Amelia does her shopping and chores around the house. She makes the necessary appointments with doctors, play dates and a repairman to come fix the shed; even though Chris insists on doing it himself.

When Thursday rolls around, Amelia wakes up with a strange feeling in her belly. It's a mix of dread, fear and nausea, all wrapped up into a big bundle that makes her jittery and nervous. The kids are home and running about, making a mess with their toys and the furniture. They know they can get away with it because Daddy is away and Mommy can't do the stern voice that her husband has mastered over the years.

It's only nine in the morning when she gets the call on the comm-unit in the kitchen, and the tone is different from every other call that comes through. Amelia notices that the number is from Starfleet HQ, which confuses her, because, they know that her husband is away in London. When she answers the call with trembling hands, she fights the urge to cry when Jim appears before her.

"Amelia," he sighs in relief at the sight of her. "Thank god."

"Where is he?" is the first thing out of her mouth, followed by "What happened?"

A terrorist attack in central London; six bombs going off in three different locations that hold Starfleet officials. One of the bombs had gone off just outside the hotel that Chris is staying at, the other on the forty-second floor.

"The city is on lockdown," Jim tells her, as she stands still, barely listening to a word he says. "I've got my crew scattered about looking for clues.."

"Where's my husband?" she interrupts him.

Jim pauses and for a moment, Amelia see's the worry flash before her his. "Kirk," she warns, pulling her "don't you lie to me," voice, which sends Andrew and Catherine running to Chris.

"I don't know," he shakes his head. "We saw him this morning at a meeting and breakfast. Then he went out saying he wanted to get something for the kids. I haven't heard from him since."

Amelia gasps, "Okay.." she nods. "Okay."

 

"As soon as I see or hear from him, I will call you," the younger man promises. "Just stay put and try not to panic. Chris is a fighter, Amelia. It's gonna take a lot more than a few bombs to knock him out for good."

They hang up with promises to call on another if they hear from Chris and Amelia is left alone with her thoughts. Andrea and Catherine are giggling from the playroom down the hall, oblivious to the fact that their father is on the other side of the planet- missing. Amelia can't help but think of that awful dream and curses at how hopeless she feels and how Chris is a stubborn pain in the ass; curses him for making her worry all the time now, because the fact that she almost lost him once, will never make it easier to see him jet off for work.

The hours pass, as she takes care of the children and cleans up the messes they made. She finally gets another call around nine her time- two in the morning over in London- as she's putting the rest of the toys away in the playroom. She nearly screams when she sees her husbands face on the other link, and starts to cry.

"You idiot! I told you not to go! "she sobs. "I told you something was going to happen!"

"I'm alright," he tells her, though he looks far from it. "Mia, honey, I'm alright!"

His uniform is a mess, covered in dirt and god knows what, the emotional and physical crisis of this event aging him by ten years.

"What happened?" she gasps, wiping furiously at her eyes. "Jim said a bomb went of both inside  _and_ outside your hotel!"

He replays the events from his point of view; breakfast and a meeting with Kirk, Spock and McCoy, along with several other people. A quick chat about the ship, the status of New Vulcan and McCoy's daughter, before he heads out to do a little shopping.

"I was three blocks away when the first three bombs went off," he shakes his head. "We don't know who it was or how many people are involved, but it's really bad."

"Come home," she tells him. "Please, just come home."

He nods, "I'm trying, Mia," he tells her. "I want to come home."

They talk for a few more minutes, before he promises to call back later; it's been a long day and he needs to eat something and get a few hours of rest, before the sun comes up. Chris tells her to "give the kids a hug and kiss for me", and tells her that he loves her.

"I love you, too," she sniffles. "Just come home."

….

His shuttle lands in the middle of the night, on Sunday. Amelia doesn't know that he's home, for she's lost in a deep sleep; much needed since she couldn't stop watching the nets about the attack. Kirk and McCoy called her throughout the weekend, keeping her updated on what was going on, as did Chris. The kids were a bundle of energy, demanding to know where their father was.

"He was supposed to come home Fwyday!" Andrew cried, as Amelia carried him into the playroom.

"I know baby," she kisses his cheek. "He'll be here soon."

The kids spend the entire day moving from the windows to their toys and back again, waiting for their father to show up. Finally, she manages to get them into the kitchen for dinner and upstairs for baths and into bed. She passes out after a glass of wine in the bedroom, the alcohol and stress is enough to make her want to sleep for days. She doesn't hear the car pulling up, or the keys rattling in the door. Nor does she hear the footsteps on the staircase, coming down the hall slowly, checking each child to make sure that they're sleeping.

The bed dips and there's a sudden mass of body heat by her side, making her groan because it's so hot outside to begin with. Then the smell of fresh soap and her husband's cologne, the soft press of lips against her cheek, is what wakes her.

"Hmmm?" her eyes open slowly. "Chris?"

"Shh, go back to sleep," he whispers, pulling the sheet up over her.

Chris goes to get up, but Amelia's got her arms and legs wrapped around him in an instant, pulling him down on her. "You're home."

"I'm home," he caresses her face. "I'm home and I'm not leaving again for a long time."

 


	12. Christmas Shopping Part 1

**Christmas Shopping Part 1**

Before he met Amelia, Chris hated holiday shopping. The idea of going to the mall to find the perfect gift for his family members, dealing with the crowds and the ridiculous sales, were never his thing. It wasn't that he was a bad gift giver- he excelled at picking out unique gifts for his sister, brother-in-law, nieces and parents. It was the idea of going out and roaming the mall or other shops to find such gifts.

Finally, after learning from one of his office mates about shopping online, Chris would spend hours and hours looking for gifts. Comparing the prices and shipment deliveries from site to site, searching for the most ridiculous stuff he could think of. He could get all his shopping done in one day and the rest of the month would be smooth sailing.

Then he met a lovely young woman, married her and had three kids. Then, Christmas shopping became a nightmare.

….......................

Their first Christmas was pretty easy, considering the fact that they waited until the last minute to actually celebrate it. Instead of exchanging gifts to one another, Chris and Amelia spent the entire weekend at his place, enjoying each other's company. They went through the entire stock of junk food and liquor, something they stocked up on before Christmas Eve rolled around, watched very little television and had plenty of sex.

"This is probably the best Christmas I've had in years," she said, as they curled up on the sofa. "Just you and me," he kissed her cheek, as she stretched out against him. "No one bothering us."

He hummed in agreement, "Not having to get dressed up," he grinned. "Which we should do more often."

By the time Tuesday rolled around, Chris was back at work, while Amelia caught up on her house chores and paper grading. It would be the last quiet Christmas they'd have together.

…......................

When Christmas rolled around, six months into their first year of marriage, Amelia decided to host the holiday dinner. Chris laughed at her, telling her that she was crazy and that he'd give her a week before she called his sister and begged to switch. But Amelia, not one to back down from a challenge, started planning. Buying the food was easy, knowing the exact ingredients to make the antipasto or how many bags of coconut flakes were needed to make macaroons.

But to drag her husband to the mall? That was another story. The week after Black Friday, Amelia decided that she wanted to go to the mall to shop for her in-laws and her family. Chris handed her a PADD and told her to do it online.

"No," she handed the PADD back to him. "We're going to the mall."

"But this is easier," he said, nodding to the PADD. "You could find everything in a few hours and be done. No crowds and no fuss!"

She glared at him, "We are going to the mall," she said, her tone meaning business. "You have an hour to get in the shower and dressed.

 

Chris groaned, "Miaaaaaaaa. I don't want to go to the mall." It was his day off and he had a date with the sofa and a good book. But his wife's intense stare- her eyebrows raised and her lips pressed together in a thin line- told him that those plans were cancelled.

"Fine," he sighed, pushing the chair back. "I'll be ready in thirty minutes."

Amelia beamed at him, "Thank you!" she stood up as well, kissing his cheek quickly.

By the time they reached the mall, Chris had the worst attitude known to man. Parking was a joke, taking a full hour to find any spot to park their car. Then came the stores themselves; the crowds of insane women, noisy children and clueless men, running about finding the perfect gifts. The cloud of mixed perfume was enough to make him go blind AND choke, as Amelia browsed through different items.

"What should we get for Liz?" she asked, stopping so he could catch up with her. "I know the girls wanted some kind of princess thing."

Chris sighed, "I don't know," he shook his head. "I don't care. Just pick something."

 

Amelia took his hand into hers, "Chris, don't be snappy," she sighed. "Can't you just try to have a little fun?" she pouted.

"Amelia, I hate the mall, "he groaned, as they walked out of the department store. "This would've been so much more easier if you did it from home."

She looked at him for a moment, noting how unhappy he was at that moment. Then, she wrapped her arms around his neck and stood on her toes to kiss him. "What if," she said, after pulling away. "I let you pick something out for yourself?" she bit her lip. "Something that we could both enjoy?"

He frowned, "What do you mean?" he asked, as she laughed.

"Well, It could be something very, very, lacy," she blushed. "Sheer, skimpy, sati-" she squealed as he pulled her into hug. "Please? Just for a few hours, can you at least put a little pep in that step and help?"

Chris sighed dramatically, "Fine," he wrapped his arm around her waist. "But I'm picking out the skimpiest thing I can find and you're going to wear it."

Nothing made Amelia happier, come Christmas day, when their families crowded around the living room, opening their gifts with smiles and squeals. It made Chris smile, as Arianna and Isabella hugged their Aunt tightly. The princess tea set had been a big hit, to which Chris took no credit for.

"Aunt Mia remembered how much you wanted it," he told them, as they climbed up onto his lap to hug and kiss him. "Uncle Chris just paid for it."

Of course, Amelia went back to the mall herself to finish the shopping, but Chris had been helpful in suggesting ideas on what to get. And she held up her end of the bargain, wearing the very skimpy lingerie set the night before, making the entire trip worth it..

"You Mr, Pike, should take credit for picking out half those gifts," she said to him later, as he watched the girls play with the tea set.

He wrapped his arm around her, "But you did go back to the mall and bought more stuff, Mrs. Pike."

She giggled, pressing her face into his shirt. "Next year we'll order everything online," she promised. "But you can pick out skimpy things for me all year round."

…........................

The quietest Christmas occurred three months after the  _Narada_ and Andrew's birth. While Amelia planned for an eventful first Christmas for her son, buying him loads of toys and showing him off to the family, Amelia ended up with the decision that their holiday would be small and quiet. She ordered a few things off the net with Chris, sending them out to his Liz, Robert and the girls. Their parents and her siblings got gift certificates to various places they enjoyed and that was it.

"No, I don't want anything," Amelia said, as she took the PADD from him.

Andrew slept quietly in the bassinet against the wall, a common occurrence, since Amelia spent most of her time in the master bedroom with Chris. Physical therapy left him exhausted, his body being pushed to extremes that took its toll on his weakened body. So the three of them napped during the afternoon, until Andrew woke up for a feeding or a diaper change.

"But," he pouted. "I saw something really, really pretty for you."

Amelia shook her head, "No skimpy things this year," she fixed the pillows. "I mean it, Chris. You're not allowed to do any strenuous activity and I refuse to have sex with you after pushing out a bowling ball of a child."

"Well then what do you want?" he asked, frustrated. "I don't want you to not have anything to open on Christmas."

 

She sighed, settling down next to him. "I already got what I wanted for the holidays," she said, turning to look at him. "I got you and Andrew and that's all I need."

Chris nodded, realizing how close he came to death three months previously. How he was so close to missing his sons first Christmas, and missing out on everything else to come after.

"Okay," he kissed her hand. "I hope you have enough bows then," he grinned. "Can't wrap the injured in paper."

 

Amelia groaned, "For a second there, I thought you were going to say how big of a gift you were."

Chris snickered, "That too."

"I could hit you right now," she warned, fixing the quilt that rested over his legs. "But you're injured and I don't want to go to jail," she shrugged. "I'm too pretty for jail.'

He snorted, "You're too mean for jail," he corrected her, as she turned the lights off. "Can I wrap you up in a bow?"

She snickered, "If it'll make you happy, I'll bring some ribbon up tomorrow," she promised.

…................

As the years went on and more children came into the picture, Amelia and Chris had to juggle with their holiday shopping. With Andrew it was easy, having one child to shop for and not having to worry about him picking something out for his parents. Then Catherine arrived and Chris insisted that he'd take his two babies out so they could pick something out for their mother.

"You did give birth to them after all," he said to her one night, as she tried to understand why he wanted to take a three year old and a six month old to the mall. "I mean, sixteen hours of labor calls for something nice under the tree."

"You are going to be miserable," she warned, as she made up a bottle for Catherine. "They are going to drive you insane!"

Even his sister and brother-in-law said the same thing, when he mentioned that he was taking the kids to the mall that weekend. Robert offered dig a hole in the yard for his body, after the inevitable heart attack.

"You will never want to take them anywhere again after this," he promised. "Trust me, Chris. This is a bad idea."

He laughed off all the warnings from his wife, sister and brother-in-law, and on Saturday morning, he brought the two kids into the mall not knowing what to expect. By the time they came home that afternoon, getting all of Amelia's presents, he put both children down in the playroom and passed out on the sofa.

"Have fun?" she asked, when he woke up hours later. "You look good for someone who spent seven hours in the mall with two children under the age of five."

"Never again," he swore, as she patted his shoulder. "Never, ever, again."

But when Christmas morning rolled around, and the kids handed her a their gift with shy smiles, Chris knew it was worth it. The necklace with two diamond stars, each representing her two children, brought tears to her eyes. She pulled them both onto her lap for a big hug, smothering them with kisses.

"This is so pretty," she said, looking from the necklace to her two children. "You two did a very good job."

And whens he looked up at with a smile, Chris knew he did all right.

 


	13. Christmas Shopping Part 2

**Christmas Shopping Part 2**

"Okay, what should we get Mommy for Christmas?"

A few years after the chaotic trip to the mall with two children, Chris decided to try again with three children. Amelia had been put on strict bed rest as she went into the second trimester of her fourth pregnancy, this time with twins; putting shopping and leaving the house off limits. So while she ordered everyone else's gifts off the net, Chris decided to take his three children out to pick out something nice for her.

"No Emma," Chris scooped up the youngest of the three children, into his arms. "What do you want to get for Mommy?"

Emma, nearly four now, shrugged. "Doll!"

Chris groaned, as Andrew and Catherine giggled at the mannequins. "What about you two?" he nodded to them. "What do you want to get for your Mother?"

Andrew shrugged, "Mom said she wanted socks," he said, as Catherine nodded in agreement

.

"We are not getting your Mother socks," he shook his head. "She gave birth to you three. I think she deserves a lot more than socks."

Catherine bounced on her heels, "Can we get her a fish?" she asked.

Chris groaned, "We'll see," he nodded towards the exit of the department store. "Andrew, hold your sisters hand and stay close please,' he shifted Emma in his arms. "The last thing I need is for you two to get lost in this place."

Four hours later, Andrew and Catherine managed to pick out something nice for Amelia. A pretty sweater from Catherine, who insisted that pink was her favorite color and that the sweater would keep the babies in her belly warm. Andrew settled on a set of aromatherapy candles and bath oils, since Amelia wasn't allowed to shower alone; making baths easier on herself and on Chris' sanity.

"Emma, you need to figure out what you want to get for Mommy," he said, as the little girl's eyes darted around the mall.

"DADDY!" she squealed suddenly, pointing to a store. "GO!"

Chris looked to where she was pointing and tried to suppress the groan, "Emma, I don't think we'll find anything in there."

 

But Emma pouted, knowing that she could get away with just about anything with that pout. He sighed, "Five minutes," he warned, as Emma smiled. "Then we have to find something for Mommy."

As soon as they stepped foot into the pet store, Andrew and Catherine ran off to look at he fish, while Chris carried Emma around to see the hamsters, bunnies and other animals.

"That's a bunny," he pointed to the open case. "See the floppy ears?"

Emma giggled as the bunnies moved around, "Bunny," she waved to them. "What's dat?" she point to the cages along the back wall.

Chris carried her closer, "Those are kittens," he said, as Emma's eyes caught onto a black and white kitten.

"Daddy! Daddy!" she reached out towards the cage. "Go!"

He carefully moved closer to the cage and Emma peered inside, "Kitty?" she asked, as he nodded.

Suddenly, the tiny kitten made it's way up to the door and sat down, staring at the little girl. Then, it opened its little mouth and let out the tiniest meow, and Emma was sold.

"Want! Want kitty!" she exclaimed, as the kitten rubbed against the door. "Meow!"

"Emma, we're not here to get a kitten," he said, as the kitten meowed at the attention. "We have to get Mommy a present."

But Emma wasn't having any of that, insisting that she wanted the kitten and she wanted it now. "Now! Now!" she shouted, as she wiggled in his arms. "Daddy!"

By then, Catherine and Andrew were bored and ready to leave, reaching their father and younger sibling by the cages.

"Come on, Em," as they started walking away from the kitten. "Time to go."

Emma suddenly burst into tears, "NO! I WANT KITTY!" she screeched, drawing the attention of multiple customers. "KITTY!"

Making sure that Andrew and Catherine were with him, Chris quickly moved out of the pet store and towards the department store that they first came through. Emma screamed and cried as they moved, calling out for the kitten that was too far away to hear her. Once he got them all in the car, Chris was ready to shoot himself with a phaser. His two eldest children sat quietly in their seats, while Emma cried in her booster seat.

"I want kitttyyy!" her cries ranging from sobs to screams, as Chris told her how sorry he was, but that today wasn't about buying stuff for her.

"Emma," he warned, as she pulled her shoes off. "Enough."

"NO! I WANT KITTY!" she cried, tossing her boot down on the floor. "KITTY!"

Andrew groaned, "Emma stop it!

They were close to the house now, and Chris couldn't wait to put the screaming child down for a nap.

"Emma Jane, you are not getting a cat," he said, looking up at her through the rear-view mirror. "Now stop crying."

"NO!" she screeched. "MEAN! MEAN! MEAN!"

Andrew looked over at his father from the front seat, "My gift can be from both Emma and I," he said. "Is that okay, Dad?"

Chris nodded, "If that's what you want to do, son," he managed a quick smile.

The ten year old nodded, "It was a cute kitten," he shrugged. "But Mom never said anything about pets."

…......

By the time they reached the house, Emma's cries turned into whimpers. Once in the house, Chris sent Andrew and Catherine up to their rooms to hide their gifts, while he carried Emma into her own bedroom for a nap. Fifteen minutes later, Chris was lying on his side of the bed, while Amelia ran her fingers through his hair.

"Have fun?" she asked, as he groaned into the pillow. "I take that as a no."

Chris rolled onto his back and told Amelia about the kitten and how Emma threw a temper tantrum in the mall and on the car ride home. 

"What did it look like?" she asked. "The kitten?" 

He shrugged, "It was a tiny little thing," he sighed. "Black and white with a pink little nose."

When he looked up at her, he recognized the look on her face. "Oh no," he shook his head. "No."

"But!" she started.

"Mia, I told Emma no and I'm telling you no," he sighed. "How the hell are you going to train a tiny kitten while on bed rest?"

She shrugged, "It wont be that hard, Chris!"

He snorted, "We are not getting a kitten," he shook his head. "Absolutely not."

…........

For the next two days, Emma kept asking when they would go back to get the kitten. When Chris had enough, he snapped and told her to stop asking about the kitten because she wasn't getting it. Then he felt bad, when the three and a half year old spent the entire afternoon crying to Amelia.

"I don't care if I'm on mandatory bed-rest," she snapped. "But so help me god, if I get out of this bed, I am going to hurt you so bad, that the wheelchair will be pulled out of storage and you'll be in it for good."

She yelled at him some more, demanding that he go and apologize to their youngest for being an "insensitive asshole." So, when he found Emma curled up under her blankets, Chris knew he screwed up big time. He climbed into the tiny bed next to his daughter and got under the covers with her.

"Em, I'm sorry for yelling at you," he said, as she hid her face in her arms. "But you have to understand that we went to the mall so you could get Mommy a present."

"But Kitty was for Mama," she huffed. "Mama needs fwend."

Chris sighed, "Mama has friends, Em," he looked down at her. "She can't chase a kitten around."

Emma pushed herself up on her elbows, "Why?"

"Because the doctor said she has to stay in bed," he reached out to brush her tangled curls back.

"Why?" she asked again, frowning.

"Because Mama has two babies in her belly," he shifted on the tiny bed. "And she needs all the rest she can get."

Emma nodded, "But kitty be fwend and Mama be happy."

Chris sighed, "We'll see, Em," he pulled her into a hug. "We'll see."

….........

"What's wrong with having a pet?" Amelia asked that night, as Chris got ready for bed. "When I was Emma's age, I had  _three_ cats."

Chris sighed, "You know why," he said, pulling the sheets down on his side of the bed. "You are on mandatory bed-rest until those babies come out and it's a lot of work, that requires constant moving about."

She watched as he settled down on his side of the bed, "You have three kids, Chris," she shook her head. "I think a ten, six and three year old can handle a tiny kitten."

"No, they can't and they won't," he fixed his pillow. "I am not getting that damn kitten, Mia. It'll end up being me that has to take care of it!"

Amelia groaned, "You are being so unreasonable right now," she pulled the blankets off. "I know you're still upset about Watson, but Chris, that was two years ago! A damn kitten isn't going to replace the love you have for Watson. I miss him too, but eventually you're gonna have to move on!"

Swinging her legs over the side of the bed, Amelia started pulling herself out of bed. Chris quickly sat up and tried to stop her, but she moved out of his way.

"What the hell are you doing?!" he shouted, as she stood up. "Get back in bed!"

"I'm going into the guest room," she snapped. "Do not follow me!"

He watched as she slowly shuffled out of their bedroom, one hand out to steady herself against the walls, the other on the small of her back. Knowing that the right thing to do would be to follow her, Chris also knew how short her temper had been as the pregnancy progressed.

"Fuck.." he muttered, falling back against the pillows. "Fuck, fuck, fuck."

 


	14. Christmas Shopping Part 3

**Christmas Shopping Part 3**

Christmas Eve came and went, as the kids, Chris and Amelia ate a small dinner at the table. Afterwards, Amelia stayed out in the living room for a while with the kids, as they watched a holo-vid and ate Christmas cookies. By nine, Emma was asleep at her side and Catherine was yawning widely.

"Bedtime," Chris clapped his hands gently. "We have a big day tomorrow."

Giving them hugs and kisses, Amelia watched as Chris led the girls upstairs to their rooms, while Andrew grabbed a few candy canes from the coffee table and brought them over to the tree.

"Are you going to bed, Andrew?" she asked, as he set the candy canes on the branches. "You don't want to be the last one down here tomorrow morning."

The boy nodded, "I am," he glanced back at her. "Dad said he was going to call Uncle Jim and I wanted to talk to him."

 

Amelia nodded, "Okay," she frowned. "But don't stay up too late, kiddo. You need your rest, too."

Andrew made his way over to the couch and sat down next to her, "But you need it more," he said, resting his hand against her belly. "They're kicking," he laughed.

She nodded, "That they are," she placed her hand upon his. "Kicking too much actually."

They were laughing when Chris came back downstairs, smiling at the sight before him. He watched them for a few more minutes, before making himself known.

"Time for bed, Mrs. Pike," he said as she groaned. "You've been down here for longer than I liked."

Giving Andrew a quick kiss on the head, Amelia held her hands out so Chris could pull her up to her feet. Then they slowly made their way up the stairs, Chris motioning to Andrew towards his office. Once Amelia was tucked into bed with a holo-vid on, Chris made his way back downstairs to help his son.

"Do you think it'll be okay in here?" Andrew asked, an hour later.

Chris nodded, "It'll be fine," he promised. "The heat is on and the door will be locked."

They cleaned up the mess they made and locked the door, making their way up the stairs. "Don't stay up playing your video games, "Chris warned, as Andrew went into his room. "You know Emma will be in here at the crack of dawn."

Andrew laughed and nodded, "Night Dad."

"Night, Andy."

….................

Emma managed to wake the entire house at 0600 the next morning, bursting into bedrooms and hopping on beds. When she reached her parents room, Emma climbed up onto Chris' side of the bed and jumped on him.

"UP! UP!" she tapped his forehead. "Cwistmas!"

Amelia groaned and pulled the blanket up over her head, leaving Chris to deal with her. Grabbing the little girl around the waist, Chris sat up and hugged her.

"Give Mommy and Daddy five minutes and we'll go downstairs," he said, kissing her cheek. "Go see if Cat and Andrew are up."

Emma squealed and scrambled off the bed, tearing out of the bedroom like a roadrunner.

"One day," Amelia said from under the blanket. "She's going to give us both heart attacks and put us in our graves early."

Chris snorted, "I'll be the first to go," he said, as she pulled the blanket down. "Merry Christmas."

Amelia gave him a sleepy smile, "Merry Christmas."

They got up slowly, taking their time with going to the bathroom and making themselves presentable. Once they made their way downstairs, they spotted their children waiting for them in the living room. Andrew and Catherine sat on the loveseat, while Emma poked around under the tree.

"Emma Jane," Chris warned, as he helped Amelia onto the couch. "Get out from under that tree."

The three and a half year old turned around quickly, "Daddy!" she ran towards him.

"You are always getting into trouble," he grunted, as he picked her up. "Patience my child. You will open your presents in a minute."

Amelia snorted as Emma pouted, "Good morning my sweet children," she said, smiling at them. "Merry Christmas."

"Merry Christmas, Mommy," Andrew and Catherine said.

"Cwistmas!" Emma squealed, wrapping her arms around Chris's neck. "Pwesents!"

Setting her down, Chris nodded to the kids. "Go on," he sighed, as they all took off towards the tree.

"One at a time!" Amelia warned, as they picked up the neatly packed boxes. "They're not going anywhere!"

For the next half hour, the kids opened their gifts and handed Chris and Amelia theirs. They sat on the floor and watched and their parents opened boxes and bags, showing their delight over the presents that their children picked out for them.

"You three did such a good job!" Amelia said, as they each gave her a hug and kiss. "Thank you, my little babies."

Chris chuckled, "I can't wait to read all of these," he said, eyeing the set of books on the American Civil War. "Thank you."

He then looked at Andrew, who nodded quickly. "But, we have one more gift."

Catherine and Emma frowned, "We do?" Catherine asked, as Amelia looked at her husband.

"Yup," Chris said, standing up. "Andrew?"

The girls watched as they quickly moved down the hall to his office, slipping inside quickly. Amelia could hear them whispering, as Andrew poked his head out into the hall.

"Close your eyes, Mom!" he shouted, before looking back into the office. "We're coming out now!"

Amelia did what she was told, "You too, girls," Chris said.

A few minutes later, Amelia could hear them approaching, before something soft was placed onto her lap. Then she felt movement and jumped. "Can I open them?" she asked.

Chris chuckled, "Go on," he said. "You too, girls."

As soon as they opened their eyes, Emma screeched. "KITTY!" she jumped up and towards the kitten on Amelia's lap, struggling as Catherine held her back

Amelia opened her eyes quickly and looked down at the black and white fur ball on her lap. Around the kitten's neck, was a red and green bow bigger than her head.

"Oh my god," she gasped, picking the small kitten up to look at her. "You didn't!"

Chris shrugged, "I did some thinking and I figured you were right about moving on since Watson," he sighed. "I thought we could give this little girl the same kinda love and attention we gave him."

The kitten meowed and Amelia felt her heart melt, as she brought the kitten close to place a kiss on her head. "She's adorable," she murmured against her head. "Thank you, baby."

She held her arm out and Chris moved in to give her a kiss, "Now," he said, turning to the kids. "Since this is Mommy's present, she gets to name the kitty."

Emma was bouncing on her toes, her hands grasping her nightgown. "Can I touch?" she asked, unsure of what to do. "Pwease?"

Chris nodded and pulled her onto his lap, "Easy Em," he said, as she reached out quickly. "The kitty is a baby and you have to be gentle."

Emma nodded and carefully touched the kitten on the back, giggling as it meowed and arched into the touch. "Pwetty."

"What are you going to name her, Mommy?" Catherine asked, leaning over the arm of the couch to look at the kitten.

Amelia was lightly scratching the kittens back, "I'm not sure," she sighed. "Mommy's gonna have to think about that for a while."

"Dad," Andrew stood up. "Can I put her sandbox together?" he asked.

Chris chuckled, "We can do that," he stood up. "You girls clean up that wrapping paper and your presents away nicely," he said.

"What about breakfast?" Catherine asked, as Emma kissed the kittens head. "Mommy said you were making pancakes!"

"I will make breakfast after your brother and I put the kitty's box together," he promised. "Don't worry, I wont let you guys starve."

….....................

When Robert, Liz and the girls came around noon, breakfast had been served and everyone went upstairs to wash up and change. More gifts were exchanged and the kids went to play, as Emma sat on the floor with the kitten.

"She's been sitting there for hours," Amelia said from her seat at the table. "I have no idea what she's trying to do."

 

Liz moved to the stove and dumped the diced peppers into the pan; "Maybe she's trying to get it to play?" she shrugged. "Who knows if the people at the pet store even played with her."

 

"Kitty pway!" Emma rolled the ball towards the tiny animal. "Pway!"

"Is she still in there?" Chris asked, as he came into the kitchen.

Amelia nodded as she plucked the basil into a bowl, "I have to name that kitten," she shook her head. "Can't keep calling her kitty."

Robert chuckled, "Why not? It's an easy name!"

The doorbell went off, "Because, she needs a good, strong name!" Amelia insisted. "She's a Pike!"

Chris chuckled and dropped a quick kiss on her lips, "That she is," he said. "And that must be your sister and Paul."

"Ah Brittany," Liz sighed. "I wonder what color her hair is this time."

Amelia laughed, "Hush," she waved her hand at her. "I'm hoping it's red and green," she admitted, as the squeal of five children rang out.

Liz rolled her eyes and went to the refrigerator, "Let's hope it's not," she said, pulling out the ingredients for the stuffed shells. "I don't wanna have to go through the reasons why Arianna and Isabella can't color their hair again."

…...............

Dinner went off without an issue, as the kids sat at one table and the adults at the other. Most of the conversation varied from work; Starfleet for Richard and Chris to what their wives, Brittany and Paul were up to. Then it went to what the rest of the family that couldn't make it that year and how Amelia was feeling.

"I feel fine for the most part," she sighed, sitting back in the chair. "I just can't wait to get them out."

Brittany giggled, "Any plans for baby number six?" she asked innocently.

Chris snorted, "I think we're done after these two," he said. "I'm getting too old and whatever grey is left will be gone by then."

Amelia nodded in agreement, "We're done after these two," she rubbed her belly. "Even the doctor said no more and that we got very lucky this time; considering the fact that it's twins, we're pushing it here."

"I want another baby…" Liz sighed, making Robert choke on his wine. "What? I do!"

Robert shook his head, "Oh no," he glared at Chris. "See what you did! Now she's going to make it a mission to get pregnant!"

Amelia laughed, "Hey, you guys could make it your New Years Resolution!" she exclaimed, earning a round of laughter.

At that point, Emma came over to the table and tugged on Chris's arm. "What's wrong Emmy girl?" he asked, as he pulled her onto his lap. "Did you finish eating?" he asked.

Emma nodded, "Can I pway with kitty now?" she asked. "Pwease?"

"You don't want to play with the others?" he asked to which Emma shook her head. "What about Arianna and Isabella?"

"No Daddy," she shook her head. "Kitty."

Chris sighed, "Kitty's sleeping, Em," he brushed her hair away from her face. "It's been a long day for the kitty. She needs her rest so she can play with you tomorrow."

Emma pouted, "No pouting," Chris kissed her forehead. "How about you help me clean up the dishes and we'll make hot chocolate? Then we'll put the cookies you made out?"

The little girl thought on the offer for less than five seconds, nodding quickly. "Now?" she asked.

Chris chuckled, "Let's wait five minutes so everyone's done and then we can clean up."

"Okay!" she squealed, as he dropped another kiss to her forehead. "Hwrry!" she said to the others, as she placed her hands on the table.

…...............

By seven, the adults and kids were scattered about the house, with cookies and hot chocolate. Brittany and Paul were settled on the loveseat, while Liz and Robert sat with the girls.

"Good Christmas?" Chris asked as he settled next to Amelia on the couch.

She smiled at him, "The best," she nodded, resting her head on his shoulder. "Thank you for my present."

He wrapped his arm around her shoulders, "You're welcome."

"What made you change your mind?" she asked, as he took a sip from his mug. "I mean, you were so adamant on not getting another pet."

Chris set the mug down on his leg, "You were right about Watson," he nodded. "It's been two years since we had to put him down and while I'll always love him, it is time to move on."

"I didn't mean to make you feel bad, Chris," Amelia said. "That wasn't my intention at all."

But he silenced her, "I know, Mia. But you were right."

She nodded, "Wanna help me pick a name for her?" she asked. "You're good a picking out names, since you named all three of our kids."

He chuckled, "Hmm, but it's different when it comes to pets," he said, eyeing the small kitten curled up on Emma's lap.

"Come on, baby," she nudged him. "You're so good at it," she grinned.

Chris kept his eyes on the kitten, which was now rolling around on Emma's lap, making the little girl laugh. "Aphrodite?"

Amelia nodded slowly, "I like that," she said, watching as Emma picked the kitten up to kiss her nose. "She's a beautiful kitten."

"That she is," he murmured as Emma crawled after Aphrodite. "I think Emma's found her calling."

Amelia laughed, "No Starfleet for her," she sighed.

"I still have four more to bribe," he shrugged. "Besides, Andrew is determined to become a Captain. Just to kick Kirk's ass and be just as awesome as his father."

"Are you sure you didn't spike that hot chocolate there?" she asked, nodding to his glass. "Andrew is going to become a scientist and work under McCoy AND Spock."

He chuckled, "We'll see, Mia," he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "Let's worry about them being young for now. I don't want to think about them being older and going off to do their own thing yet."

They fell into a comfortable silence, watching as their children, nieces and in-laws moved about the living room.

"Hey Mia?"

She shifted against him, "Hmm, yeah?" she whispered.

"Merry Christmas," he said softly, reaching up to run his fingers through her hair.

Amelia smiled against his shoulder, "Merry Christmas, baby."

 


	15. Holiday Parties

**Holiday Parties.**

"We don't have to stay the entire time," Chris promised, as he and Amelia made their way through the building. "We can leave after an hour and go out to dinner."

She giggled, "Chris, it's fine!" she insisted. "I want to meet your friends and see where you work!"

As their second Christmas together neared, Chris and Amelia made many plans for the holiday season. Christmas Eve with her siblings- Brittany and Tyler- then Christmas day with his sister and her family. But now, a week before Christmas, Starfleet's annual holiday party had arrived. Tempted to ignore the invitation that arrived in the mail, Chris tried to throw it out before Amelia came home, only to have her find it hidden under a stack of bills.

"Oooohhhh a party!" her eyes twinkled, as she read the invitation. "Are you going?"

Chris had hesitated, knowing how boring Starfleet parties could be. The stiff upper brass, boasting to one another about their holiday vacations in the Pacific or off planet. Showing off their wives, who wore too much makeup and the ugliest dresses he'd ever seen.

"Do you want to go with me?" he asked her. "I can bring a date you know."

Amelia smiled and Chris could see how genuinely excited she was, "Yes!" she nodded. "I want to go!"

So here they were, three weeks later, heading into the party. Amelia wore a pretty green dress and black heels, tucking her arm through his as they walked. He wore a normal suit, instead of his administrative uniform or gold command shirt that Amelia liked so much.

"IF anyone bothers you, you tell me and I'll deal with them," he warned, as they neared the party. "These are old men who do nothing but complain about one another and how their wives spend all their money."

Amelia snorted, "You're old though, so how does that make you any different?" she teased. "I can handle myself, Chris."

"I know you can, sweetheart," he kissed her quickly. "But it's my boy-friendly duty to say something like that."

"Well, you can start by showing me off to all your old fossils and uppity wives," she smirked. "Show them how an old man like you can catch a pretty thing like me."

Chris chuckled as he wrapped his arm around her waist, "You are too much," he said, shaking his head.

…........

Introductions went about, as Chris led Amelia around the room. A few typical comments came from the Admirals, while Boyce, Robert and Archer greeted Amelia with open arms.

"So you're Amelia," Archer smiled. "Chris doesn't shut up about you at all. Always talking about how "Amelia's coming over for dinner so can you do my paperwork for me!"

Chris rolled his eyes as Amelia snickered, "I only asked you once," he said, downplaying the comment.

"Sure you did," Amelia giggled. "But yes, I'm the famous Amelia that Chris can't stop talking about."

Liz came over with drinks, kissing her brother on the cheek and giving Amelia a hug. "I am so glad you're here," she huffed. "I was stuck listening to Komack's wife brag about her shitty little dog."

Chris snorted, "That thing is still alive?" he asked. "I was sure that Archer's old dog destroyed it."

Archer laughed, "I wish," he shook his head.

"Are you hungry?" Robert asked. "They actually catered this time! Some fancy Italian eatery in town that just opened up."

"Don't eat it," Liz shook her head. "You can never trust a new place that nobody's heard about."

Chris rolled his eyes, "How bad could it be, Liz?" he asked, as his sister sipped her drink.

She gave him an innocent smile, "How bad do you want to sit on the toilet all night? I'm sure Amelia has other plans tonight that don't involve you sitting on the toilet crying like a little bitch."

Amelia snorted into her drink, while the others laughed. "You're so funny, Liz," Chris faked his laughter. "I can't wait to spike your eggnog on Christmas so the girls can see you shitfaced."

"Chris!" Amelia scolded him, elbowing his side. "That wasn't nice!"

"What about her?!" he sputtered, pointing to Liz. "She started it!"

Amelia wrapped her arm around Chris' waist and smiled, "If you want to get lucky later, then you'll stop."

Archer whistled, while Boyce and Robert chuckled into their drinks. "I like her," Archer said, pointing to Amelia. "You better keep her, Pike."

…..........

Two hours later found Pike searching for his girlfriend, as the party went into full swing. His sister and Robert were busy chatting with one of the instructors in the engineering department, while Archer was busy getting another drink. Chris walked through the crowds, nodding at the greetings and wishing everyone a "Merry Christmas", as he looked for Amelia.

Moving out of the conference room, Chris made his way down the familiar hallway that led to the offices in the back.

"Mia?"

He continued to walk until he reached his own office, spotting a dim light filtering out into the hall. Figuring it was one of the cleaning crew; Chris moved by with a quick glance and stopped. Amelia sat on the dark grey sofa against the wall, her shoes resting on the floor.

"What are you doing in here?" he asked, as she smiled at him. "Party's out there."

"I know," she nodded. "I just wanted to get away for a bit."

Chris stepped into the office and closed the door behind him, moving across the room to her. Sitting down next to her, Amelia shifted from resting against he arm of the couch to resting her head on his shoulder.

"Everything okay?" he asked, as he ran his fingers down her arm.

Amelia nodded, "Yeah," she whispered. "I just couldn't stand listening to these ridiculous vacations these women are whining about."

Chris snorted, "I mean, be happy that you can get away and go somewhere nice for the holidays! Jesus, I don't know how you can stand it!" she said.

"I tend to ignore them," he shrugged. "I only care what my few close friends say and what they're doing anyways."

She sighed, "And I'm hungry," she whined. "I would eat, but your sister whacked my hand when I tried to take this little spinach thingy."

He chuckled, "How about we go and find a place to eat? Then we can go home and spend the entire weekend doing nothing but being bums?"

"Wait," she placed her hand on his chest, moving to sit up. "I want to do something first."

Chris nodded and Amelia smiled, leaning down to kiss him. The small, innocent kiss turned into a passionate one, as Amelia pulled him down with her on the couch.

"What? Here?" he asked, when he finally pulled up for air. "You want to do it here?"

Amelia blushed and nodded, "Yeah," she said softly. "I've been wanting to for a while actually.."

He hesitated for a moment, the idea that anyone could come in and catch them. But Amelia was lying on the couch, underneath him and asking to fulfill one of her wishes

"You need to be extra quiet," he whispered, kissing her. "Or else I wont be able to bring you in here after this."

She smiled, "Okay," she nodded, shifting around on the couch cushions. "I'll be very, very quiet."

…............

Twenty minutes later and one successful romp later, the couple fixed up their appearances and made their way out of the office, down the hall and back to the party. Saying their goodbyes, they promised to arrange a get together sometime before Christmas and left.

"So," Chris wrapped his arm around her shoulders. "What are you in the mood for?"

Amelia thought for a moment, "I could go for a nice stack of chocolate chip pancakes."

He snorted, "Pancakes? He asked, as she nodded. "Okay, I think I know a place around here that serves breakfast all day."

…...............

  
_Betty's Astro Diner_ served breakfast, lunch and dinner plates all day long. It was the only place near the Academy that did so, and Chris promised Amelia that the food was the best. The waitress set them at a booth in the back and took their orders for coffee and juice, before leaving them to look at the menu.

"Ohh! I want chocolate chip pancakes and a side of bacon!" she said, pointing to the meal on the menu. "Please?" she pouted.

"Yes, yes," he laughed. "You can have your pancakes!"

The waitress returned a few minutes later with their drinks and took their orders, before leaving again.

"I never took you to be a exhibitionist," he smirked, as she took a sip of her juice. "How long have you been wanting to have sex in my office for?"

Amelia blushed, "Since I came by for lunch that first time..a couple of months ago," she shrugged. "If you're not comfortable doing it there, I understand."

Chris reached across the table and took her hand, "I'm fine with it," he nodded. "You caught me off guard though."

She giggled, "Is that good or bad?" she asked.

"Good," he nodded. "Maybe we could try it again?"

Amelia nodded, "Can we try your desk next time?" she asked innocently, as he took a sip of his coffee.

He sputtered, "Don't say stuff like that when I'm drinking," he said, wiping his mouth with a napkin.

Before she could respond, the waitress came back with their plates and set them down on the table.

"Can I get you anything else?" she asked, eyeing them both. "Another juice?"

Amelia nodded, "Please," she said.

The waitress nodded and turned to Chris, "How about you, sir? Another cup of coffee?"

"I'll have juice, too," he nodded, as Amelia rubbed her bare foot against his leg. "Thank you."

When the waitress left, Chris shot her a warning look. "You better cut it out."

"Or what?" she smirked, as her foot moved up to his knee.

Chris reached under the table and grabbed her foot, "I'll take your Christmas present back."

Amelia giggled, "Fineeee," she huffed, picking up her fork. "But when we get home," she shook her head.

He gave her foot a gentle squeeze and let it go, allowing her to move her leg back down and her foot back into the shoe. "You can be as loud as you want.." if offered, as she slathered the pancakes with syrup.

"Oh I plan on it," she said, cutting into the food. "I hope your neighbors don't mind."

Chris chuckled as he shook his head, "Oh god," he sighed. "Thank you for coming with me though."

Amelia smiled, "You're welcome," she nodded. "I like your friends and seeing what you do when you're not home with me. I'm very proud of you and everything that you've done and will do in the years to come."

"I'm proud of you too," he said, as she ate. "Educating the minds of future is a big responsibility."

She smiled, "They can't wait to meet you next week," she picked up the bottle of syrup. "All they can talk about is the Starfleet Captain who's coming to eat cupcakes and make Christmas decorations with them."

"Should I wear my command uniform?" he asked, smirking. "Will you be able to control yourself in front of a twenty, six year old's ?"

Amelia snickered, "I'll be on my best behavior," she promised. "I can tell you right now, our party will be a lot more interesting than the one we went to just now!"

 


	16. Nail Polish

**Nail Polish**

Chris could always tell when Amelia was painting her nails; the strong, alcoholic stench of the remover and other chemicals used to make up the rainbow display of colors she collected and stashed in his house. Never had he ever dated a woman who changed her nail polish every other day. During his Academy days, girls only wore one color and never changed it until it chipped off; or a clear base across their nail beds.

Number One always wore dark shades of blue and black on her nails, the color shining under the lights on the bridge; tapping against he control panel as she worked diligently during her shifts. His sister, Liz, only had her nails done if she and Robert were going to a party or for special occasions. Two kids and being a housewife, kept her from painting them frequently like she did back in the day.

But Amelia? Whenever he came home from work her nails were a different color; green, blue, red, pink, purple, black. The colors never ended and neither did her collection. He'd find bottles on his dresser, on the bathroom counter next to his razor. Hell, he even found a bottle of silver polish in his office at the Academy. He knew her addiction was a problem, when he found a bottle of glitter in the cabinet next to the spices.

" _Why must you have so much of this shit?"_ he would ask her.  _"Doesn't it wreck your nails after a while?"_  


She would give him a sweet smile; " _You don't like it when I paint them? Not even when I use your favorite color?"_  


When they first started dating, the twenty questions game was the first game they'd played together. Long before the sexual aspect of their relationship began, Amelia wanted to know everything about the man who's dog brought them together. When she asked for his favorite color, he smiled and said it was blue. But not just any old blue; it had to be shiny, sapphire blue- one that would shine in the light or under the sun.

On their third date, when he picked Amelia up at her apartment, he was surprised to see her nails covered in the shiniest shade of sapphire blue. When she caught him staring at her fingers, Amelia smiled and leaned over to kiss his cheek.

" _I made sure to buy enough sapphire blue,"_ she giggled.  _"You have an extraordinary taste in color, Mr. Pike."_  


….....

It was a log morning of meetings and signing documents, much to Chris's displeasure. The heat wave outside didn't help matters, as the cooling system in his office decided crap out on the hottest day of the summer. Calling it an early day, Chris had his secretary forward all the remaining documents to his personal account and reschedule all his meetings for the day.

" _I'm going home, where it's cooler,"_ he tells the woman behind the oak desk.  _"Please call someone from the Engineering department and have them fix it ASAP."_  


The drive home was quick, as the car pumped out cold air through the vents. Chris couldn't wait to get into the house and into a cold shower, before laying out on a piece of furniture to cool down. Parking in the driveway, Chris quickly grabbed his things and made a run for the door, unlocking it quickly to get out of the blazing sun. As soon as he stepped into the house, he automatically knew what his girlfriend was up to.

"Mia!" he shut the door behind him, dropping everything on the hall table.

Kicking off his shoes, Chris moved up the stairs quickly and followed the horrid smell down the hall to the bedroom, pushing the door open.

Amelia looked up from her place on the floor and smiled, "Chris!" she lowered the bottle on nail polish onto her out-stretched leg. "What are you doing home so early?"

He looked at her, "What are you doing?" he asked, as she placed the brush back into the bottle. "Didn't you paint your nails last night?"

She shrugged, "I decided that yellow was not a good look for me," she pulled the brush out, wiping the extra polish back into the bottle. "So I decided that this orangey color was better!"

Chris watched as she carefully applied the polish to her fingers, the concentration evident on her face as her tongue peeks out between her pink lips. Amelia always fells into a silent zone when it came to doing her nails, sitting in odd places and falling silent as she moved the tiny brush from the bottle to her fingers and toes. The one time Chris made the awful mistake to shake the kitchen table, resulted in no sex for a week and sleeping on the couch for the night.

"This room smells," he muttered, moving to open the window. "Now I have to turn the AC off, just to air it out."

Amelia sighed, "No you don't!" she painted the last nail on her right hand. "Just lower it and the smell should be gone in like… fifteen minutes."

Chris pulled his shirt off and tossed it onto the chair, "I'm going in the shower," he mumbled. "Make sure you throw those cotton balls in the trash this time."

"Yes Captain Grumpypants," she muttered, watching as he disappeared into the bathroom.

…....

Once he finished taking a cold shower, Chris pulled on a pair of shorts and headed back into the bedroom. The smell of nail polish and acetone had filtered out of the room, though he can still smell it lingering. Amelia's nowhere in sight, though the two bottles are sitting on the table near the wall. Grabbing a PADD off the night table, Chris deemed their bedroom uninhabitable and moved to the guestroom down the hall.

It's where Amelia finds him ten minutes later, lounging across the bed reading.

"Aren't you being a little dramatic?" she asks, crawling up the bed. "I mean, I can barely smell anything in that room."

Chris scowls as she nudges her way next to him, draping one arm and leg across his body. "I can still smell acetone and I don't like breathing that crap in."

Amelia rolls her eyes, "I never go on and on about the things you do," she pointed out. "Like how you put on too much aftershave or when you decide to buy the most disgusting air fresheners for the house and the car."

"French Vanilla is not disgusting," he exclaimed, setting the PADD down. "It's a nice scent!"

"If you like having your house smell like a old folk's home," she snorts. "You just like throwing temper tantrums, just to get me to feel sorry for you and offer sexual favors as proof to how sorry I am."

Chris squeezed her side with his hand, "You offer sexual favors to get out of doingthe dishes on your schedule night," he smirked. "Don't act all innocent, Mia."

She groaned, "Then stop being a dramatic queen with the nail polish!"

"Don't do your nails in our bedroom!" he snapped. "Seriously Mia, I can't stand that smell! It stinks up the entire house!"

Amelia rolled away from him, "You're a jerk," she huffed, turning onto her side.

Chris looked up at the ceiling, mentally cursing himself for losing his temper with her. When he glanced over at her, Amelia was quiet and still on her side.

"Mia…" he whispered, rolling over to press against her back. "I'm sorry."

She cleared her throat and reached down to grip his hand, "It's been a long morning with work and it's so goddamn hot outside," he mumbled against her ear. "I didn't mean to snap at you."

"Don't think you're getting off that easy," she said, lacing her fingers between his. "You're still a jerk."

Chris smiled against her cool skin, "And you're still a pain in the ass, but I love you anyway."

She giggled, "Asshole," she huffed.

"Thank you," he mumbled, placing a wet kiss under her ear. "So, what's the name of this color?"

Amelia held up her hand so they could both see the bright orange polish, making her pale skin even whiter. "A good man-darin is hard to find," she giggled.

Chris snorted, "So you're saying it was hard work, finding a good man like me?" he asked, noting how ridiculous the name was. "Why do they give such ridiculous names for these things? What ever happened to "bright orange" or "this color is so bright, I went blind just by staring at it?"

She snorted; "Because no one would buy a bottle of nail polish with such boring names!" she rolled over to face him. "And it was hard work, finding a good man like you. They don't make men like you all the time."

"Oh?" he smirked. "Is that so?"

Amelia nodded, "Surely there's only one man in the entire universe that hates the smell of nail polish but  _loooooovess_ it when his house smells like a retirement center for the elderly."

He tickled her, "I'm elderly though," he pointed out, even though he'd just turned forty-three a few weeks earlier.

"Could've fooled me," she wrapped her arm around him. "Especially last night and this morning."

"You're a bad influence," he pulled her into his arms. "A very bad influence."

Amelia kissed him, "But you love me anyway," she smiled innocently. "Right?"

Chris shrugged as he settled his hand against her bare hip, "I guess I do," he thought for a moment, as she gasped. "I mean, I let you live here. You sleep in my bed and you eat my food."

She reached out and pinched his stomach, his bare skin warm against her fingertips. "Ow!" he yelped, making her laugh. "Maybe I'll send you to the shed, you vicious animal."

"But my nail polish wont fit in the shed!" she yelped, as he rolled them over.

Chris pinned her down against the mattress, "Oh no!" he mocked in fear. "Whatever shall you do with the hundred little bottles of nail polish that find their way into everything?"

Amelia scowled, "You touch my nail polish and I'll hide all your work PADDs," she threatened. "I'll take great pleasure in watching you cry when you call Barnett to tell him that you've lost all your important files."

"Unlike you," he smirked. "I have a back up system for all my files."

She them flashed him the sweetest smile, "And I know where you hid your emergency credit chip," she shrugged. "Don't be surprised if you see a big charge on your account for all the nail polish  _you'll_ be repla-AHH! NO!"

Chris snorted as she bucked up against him, his fingers digging into her sides as he tickled her. "STOPPPPPPP!" she screeched, a mix of a sob and giggle breaking from her lips. "I WON'T- UGH FUC- STOP IT!"

He slowed his fingers down, "You won't what?" he asked, innocently.

Amelia glared up at him, her eyes wet with tears and her face flushed. "I wont' take your credit chip to buy nail polish," she huffed, as he nodded. "I'll just charge it to your Starfleet account!"

Chris growled and resumed his tickling spree on her, making her screech and twist underneath him. He didn't stop until she was a shuddering mess, her face wet with tears from the hysterical laughter that escaped her as he worked.

"Y-you s-suck," she gasped, as he kissed her lips, before dropping light pecks against her cheek and up to her temples. " M'tired now," she yawned.

Chris reached for the throw blanket that was bunched up under the legs, and shook it out over them. They shifted around on the mattress, until they were both lying next to one another, their limbs tangled up.

Amelia settled her head against his chest and yawned. "My toes are sapphire," she mumbled against his bare chest. "You're favorite color."

He could feel the smile curving against his skin and wrapped his arm tightly around hers. "Wear it all the time," he said softly. "Okay?"

She nodded, "Okay."

 


	17. On the Mend

**On The Mend.**

"Mia!" Chris shouted from upstairs. "MIA!"

Amelia cursed as she shifted Andrew from one hip to the other, "Could you just hold him for a minute?" she asked, as Liz set the laundry basket onto the sofa. "I'm going to kill that man if I don't get out of here in the next five minutes!"

Liz laughed, "Give him here," she held her arms out, taking the nine month old from her sister-in-law. "Hello Andy boy! Is your daddy making everyone crazy?"

Taking the stairs quickly, Amelia made her way down the hall to the bedroom and quickly pushed the door open. Chris was sitting up in bed, looking completely frazzled and out of breath.

"Oh my god!" Amelia gasped, making her way towards him. "What's wrong? Are you in pain? Oh shit, are you having a heart attack?!"

Chris shook his head, "Close the door!" he said, waving his hand "Mia! Close the door!"

Rushing back to the door, Amelia quickly closed it like he asked. "Chris, what's going on?" she asked, turning back to him. "I have to leave for my appointment!"

"I'mhard."

She frowned, "What?" she asked, before shaking her head. "Chris, I don't have time for games! I'm going to be late!"

Chris sighed and pulled the pillow away from his lap, making her gasp. "Wha? H-how long have you been like this?" she asked, pointing to his lap.

"Five minutes," he shrugged. "The longest since my two minute adventure three weeks ago."

"So.. jerk off or something!" she shook her head. "I don't have time to stand here and watch you, Chris."

He groaned, "Can't we just have a quickie?" he begged, earning a scoff from her. "Mia baby, please!? Who knows when this will happen again!"

She rolled her eyes, "Oh for crying out loud!" she snapped. "I have to be at the gynecologist in ten minutes and I should've left the house by now! I am not having sex with you!"

Chris pouted, "No!" she shook her head. "I have my period anyways! If we do it, then I'll have to help you into the shower and then I'll have to wash up  _again!"_  


"So think of something!" he whined. "Mia!"

"You're acting like a baby!" she hissed, as he groaned. "Fine! If I give you a blowjob, will you be happy? Will it be enough to knock you out until I come back?"

Chris nodded enthusiastically and Amelia groaned, crawling up onto the bed. "If I'm late for this appointment, you're going to be in so much trouble," she warned.

"You wont be late," he promised. "I guarantee that you'll be out of here in three minutes and you'll make it to your doctor friend."

.............

The front door opened two hours later, as Amelia stepped into the house with three grocery bags in her arms.

"I'm home!" she shouted, kicking the door shut behind her with her foot. "Liz?"

The blonde smiled as she came out of the kitchen, "I just took Andy upstairs for a nap," she said, taking two bags from her. "I was about to put the dishes into the washer."

"Thank you," Amelia sighed, following her into the kitchen. "What's my husband doing?"

Liz set the bags down on the counter and started unloading him, "He's been out cold since you left," she snorted. "I can only  _imagine_ what made him so sleepy."

The brunette blushed, making Liz giggle. "Oh don't be shy," she shook her head. "I heard him moaning from the laundry room!"

"He picks the worst times to get into the mood," Amelia shook her head. "He's been getting you know…the plumbing is starting to kick in again and he's desperate to relieve some sort of tension."

"I'll bet!" Liz grinned. "Must've been a good stress reliever! I bet your neighbors heard him."

Amelia snorted, "I didn't have sex with him," she said, shoving the frozen vegetables and ice cream into the freezer.

"Did you get the all clear from the Doc?" Liz asked, as she tossed the bags into the recycler. "I remember you telling me the other day that this was the appointment to see how everything healed up after the disaster Andrew created."

"I'm good to go!" Amelia nodded. "But now it's up to Chris and his… temperamental plumbing system."

Liz snorted, "Is that why you bought," she pulled three small boxes out of the last shopping bag. "Three boxes of condoms?"

Amelia blushed and snatched the boxes from her, "Don't tease," she pouted. "I just want to be prepared is all. We're certainly not ready for another baby, especially since it took another nine months to recover from the first one."

"Ah, give it a few days," Liz shrugged. "I'm sure Chris will be hollering about his plumbing and you'll be back in the swing of things."

"God help me," Amelia muttered. "I guess I'll go wake him up and see if he's ready for lunch."

Liz grabbed her bag off the back of the chair, "Oh, he'll be hungry alright," she snickered, earning a scowl from the woman. "I'll call you later!"

 ............

Once Liz left, Amelia made her way upstairs to the master bedroom to find her husband out cold under the comforter. Moving around the bed, Amelia sat down on the edge of the mattress and lightly shook him awake.

"Chris?" she whispered, as he groaned. "Honey? Time to wake up. Come on now, Chris."

He groaned, "Mia?"

She smiled, "Guess you were right, huh?" she asked, as he opened his eyes. "Knocked you out real good, didn't I?"

He groaned again, "You have a wicked mouth," he mumbled, pressing his face into the pillow. "How'd your appointment go?"

"Good," she sighed, kicking off her shoes. "Doctor gave me the all clear and said the OBGYN did a wonderful job on stitching my ass together."

Chris snorted, "That's good," he yawned.

"Do you want me to make you some lunch? I stopped at the store and picked up a few things," she said, while rubbing his arm.

"Sandwich?"

Amelia nodded, "I can put that together for you," she said. "Then I'll help you into the shower so that I can change the sheets."

"But we didn't dirty them that much," he grinned, giving her a lazy wink.

"No, but we've been laying on them for the last three weeks," she shook her head. "You know how I get when we go a week without changing the sheets."

Chris huffed, "Fine," he shook his head. "Can we have lunch now? Before I pass out again."

Amelia snickered, "Jesus, was it really that good?" she asked.

"You have no idea," Chris groaned, as he slowly rolled onto his stomach. "No idea at all."

She leaned across the bed and settled her chin on his shoulder, "Just wait until you can last more than five minutes," she whispered into his ear. "Lets just hope you have better timing with that adventure."

Chris snickered, "I'll try my best," he promised, as she stood up.

"I'll go make your lunch and we'll get you in that shower," she sighed, fixing the comforter. "If you need to sleep some more, go ahead."

"I will," he mumbled, closing his eyes again.

Amelia shook her head with a smile, making her way back around the bed and out into the hallway. After nine months of rigorous physical therapy sessions, weekly visits to a shrink and slowly rebuilding the life he had before the attack on Vulcan, Chris was making progress in every area of his designated recovery plan. Amelia couldn't have been more proud, when he managed to take a few shuffled steps around the hallway of Starfleet General.

Stepping into the kitchen and making her away over to the refrigerator, Amelia smiled to herself as she pulled the necessary ingredients for lunch. Her husband was on the mend, slowly but surely coming back to her in all the ways she remembered him before shit hit the fan. And for the first time in a long time, after their little intimate session earlier in the day, she couldn't wait to see what was in store for them.


	18. Babysitting

_Babysitting._

Amelia cursed to herself as she pulled the tray of chicken tenders and french fries out of the oven, as Arianna and Isabella played outside on the deck.

"God, why me," she mumbled, setting up the two plates for the twins. "I'm going to kill you, Chris."

After promising to watch the girls for the weekend so Liz and Robert could take a short trip out to Napa, Chris and Amelia promised to take the girls to the zoo during their first day at the house. Instead, as the comm unit went off at five-thirty, Chris was up and dressed in his uniform and heading out the door for an emergency meeting.

"Mia! Mia!" Arianna squealed from the back door. "Can I help?"

Amelia looked at the six year old and smiled, "I'm just about done!" she said, moving towards the door with the plates. "Get your sister and settle at the table!"

Arianna dashed back outside, screeching to her twin that lunch was ready, as Amelia came out to set the plates down.

"What's this?" Isabella asked, glaring at the food before her.

"Chicken tenders in the shape of stars and french fries," Amelia said, as she helped Arianna with the bottle of ketchup. "Your Uncle Chris picked them out and said you two like them."

"Thank you, Mia!" Arianna smiled, as she slathered one of the tenders in the puddle of ketchup.

Isabella huffed, "I don't want these," she whined, crossing her arms against her chest. "I want pizza."

Amelia suppressed the groan that was dying to be let out, "I'll pop one in the oven," she said, moving to go back inside.

As she pulled the mini pizza out of the freezer, Amelia heard Arianna whispering to her sister as she ate. "Why are you being mean, Bella? Mia's nice and Uncle Chris will be mad if you make her sad."

Setting the pizza on a tray and into the oven, Amelia leaned against the counter and sighed, praying that her boyfriend would return as soon as possible.

.............

After lunch came playtime, which consisted of the girls running around in the yard with bubbles. Taking a seat in one of the lounge chairs, Amelia kept her eyes on the twins and they ran around trees and hid behind the shed, which Chris really needed to paint; not a single care in the fact that the neighbors behind them were first time parents to a six week old little boy, who was most likely trying to take a nap.

"Girls!" she yelled. "Keep it down a bit, please!"

Arianna quickly apologize and went back to blowing bubbles, while Isabella scowled at the woman. It was clear that out of the two, Isabella wasn't too pleased with the woman that took her Uncle's attention. Arianna adored the woman, bringing pictures that she drew during art hour at school, and flowers that she took from Liz's flower garden.

For the entire first year of their relationship, Amelia tried her hardest to get Isabella to like her, bringing cupcakes and little art kits whenever they went over to Liz and Robert's for Sunday dinners. She took extra care in picking out their birthday and Christmas gifts, to which only Arianna expressed pure joy, as she ripped the wrapping paper off the boxes.

" _I just don't know what else to do, Chris! She just doesn't like me and I'm trying so hard, because I don't want her to hate me for taking you away!"_

"Mia! Can I watch a holo-vid?" Arianna asked, coming up to the back porch. "It's too hot to play now."

"Sure you can!" Amelia smiled, moving to get up. "Let's go wash up and we'll find a vid for you! Isabella! Are you ready to come in?"

The child ignored her, as she sat under one of the willow trees, pulling at the grass. Amelia sighed and scooped Arianna up into her arms, and placed a kiss on her cheek.

"We'll come back for her after," she nodded, moving into the house. "For now, let's get you cleaned up my garden princess!"

.............

By the time Chris stepped into the house, a little after eight-thirty, he was met with dead silence. It was odd to him, since his six year old nieces were spending the weekend with him and Amelia; both were bound to run about and cause mischief, since being free from their parents for the weekend.

"Mia?" he called out, setting his keys down on the hall table. "I'm home."

Toeing off his boots, Chris padded through the front hall of the house, peeking into the living room and dining room, before moving down the hall to the den.

"Mia? Girls?"

The holo-screen was on mute, as the nightly news flashed across the screen. Toys were scattered about on the floor, along with shoes and other items that he couldn't identify. Absent were two six year olds, as they left their wrath behind as proof that they did indeed exist in the house.

On the sofa, Amelia was sprawled out on her back, her feet hanging over the arm with the pillows knocked to the floor. Turning the holo-screen off, Chris lightly kicked the pillows out of the way, and stood over the sofa.

"Hon," he lightly shook her shoulder. "Let's get you in bed."

Amelia groaned, "Chris?" she yawned, before opening her eyes. "Did you just get in?"

He nodded, "Meeting ran late," he sighed, as she shifted on the sofa. "Didn't plan on spending the entire day there."

" S'okay," she mumbled, pulling him down by the hand. "C'mere."

Stretching out against her, Chris wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her on top of him. "I see the girls had fun."

"Arianna had fun," she corrected him. "Isabella on the other hand… not so much. She hates me, Chris. No matter what I do, she's not happy to see me."

Chris sighed, "She's just trying to get used to the idea that a big chunk of my attention is on you," he kissed her cheek. "Maybe I'll take her with me to work one day and have her fawn over the boys at the Academy."

She snorted, "Liz would just  _love_ that," she shook her head. "She wouldn't eat the chicken tenders that you picked out or come in to watch the holo-vid that Arianna picked out. Then she freaked out when I declared it bath time and ended up getting into a fight with Arianna."

"Your day sounds like it was harder than mine," Chris shook his head. "I'm sorry, honey."

"It's okay," she sighed, resting her chin on his chest. "But I will tie you up if you try to leave for any meetings for the rest of the weekend. You're nieces are here and you did promise to take them to the zoo."

"That I did," he sighed. "Even though this room looks like a pig pen at the moment."

Amelia wiggled her leg between his and yawned, "I'll clean it tomorrow," she mumbled. "We should get up and get ready for bed. I have to move Arianna out of our room and into the guestroom."

Chris frowned, "Why is she in our bed?" he asked.

"It was the only way I could stop the blood shed between them," she whined. "There was hair pulling, name calling, kicking and hitting. They don't mess around when it comes to physical abuse."

"Look who their parents are," he sighed, shaking his head. "Let's wait five minutes before getting up. I've been sitting in the most uncomfortable chair all day and I just need to relax for a moment."

She nodded, "Five minutes and then we move," she slurred. "You'll wake up crying with a stiff back and I'll never hear the end of it."

Chris hummed in agreement, closing his eyes as he settled down for the evening. Amelia was halfway to dreamland, when she was startled into consciousness, as Chris spoke.

"Why is there green play dough on the ceiling?" he asked.

"Oh god," she whined, burying her face into the crook of his neck. "I don't even know and I really don't want to know."

He shook his head, "My sister is going to get the lecture of a lifetime," he grumbled. "These two need warning labels on them and a list of items that need to be banned from their travel bags."

 

 


	19. Pain

**Pain**

Amelia sat on the semi-soft sofa in Chris’s new office, watching as he slowly made his way around the room.

 

“Son of a bitch,” he hissed, pausing in his routine exercise. “Goddamnit!”

 

“Take a deep breath,” she coached, watching as he rubbed his lower back with one hand, while leaning all his weight on the cane in his other hand.

  
“I am breathing,” he snapped, letting out a frustrated sigh. “I’m sorry.”

 

She nodded, standing up from the sofa. “It’s okay,” she said softly, wrapping her arms around him. “You wanna sit down for a bit? I can order up some food and we can relax.”

“Please?” he asked, looking up at her with exhaustion. “I know the physical therapist said I should do this an hour each day, but I just can’t today.”

 

Amelia nodded and led him to the sofa, “The weather isn’t helping either,” she shook her head, fixing the pillows on the sofa. “The dampness is getting into your bones and making your joints all crazy.”

 

Chris groaned, a mixture of pain and relief, as he settled against the cushions and pillows. Taking the cane, Amelia set it against the arm of the sofa and went to the door.

 

“Lisa?” she called out, as the petite blonde sat at her desk, working through PADDs and taking messages for Chris.

 

“Yes Mrs. Pike?” she smiled. “How’s the Admiral doing with his exercise?”

 

Amelia smiled, “Today’s a rough day,” she said softly. “Could you order up two of the usual? We’re going to eat lunch up here today and he’s going to relax before his next meeting.”

 

Lisa nodded, “Of course!” she went to pick up her Com to place in the order. “Would you like sweet tea as well?”

 

She nodded, “Have them send up a pitcher for us,” she said, looking back into the office. “And see if they can slip a few cookies in for him. Poor guy is suffering today.”

 

The young woman giggled, “Yes Ma’am,’ she nodded, as she connected to the dining hall in the officers lounge.

 

Closing the door, Amelia made her way across the room and settled down next to Chris. “Do you want to take your medicine now?” she asked, running her fingers through his hair.

 

“I’ll take the one that doesn’t require eating something right away,” he groaned. “It’s in that little black case that Boyce gave me.”

 

Getting up, Amelia went to the desk and pulled the said case from the top drawer, picking up the well-known hypo that she was familiar with after eleven months. Putting it together, Amelia made her way back to the sofa and settled down next to him.

 

“Okay,” she sighed, wiping the spot on his neck with an alcohol swab. “Ready?”

 

“Yeah,” he nodded.

 

Gently, Amelia placed the needle against his neck and injected the medicine into his bloodstream. “God, I always get nervous doing this,” she shook her head, collecting the mess.

 

“But you do it so good,” Chris sighed, as the muscle relaxer kicked in automatically. “You should be a doctor, baby. Everyone would love coming to see you and your gentile hands.”

 

Setting the empty cartridge back into the case, Amelia picked it up and brought it back to the sofa. “Sadly, my gentile hands are for you only,” she said, sitting down next to him. “I think tonight I’ll give you a massage and we’ll skip the after dinner walk around the house.”

 

He grunted, “I don’t like seeing you in pain,” she mumbled. “It makes me sad.”

 

“I know,” he nodded, looking up at her. “But eventually all of this will go away and I’ll be the same old man you married.”

 

She smiled, “You’re still the same old man I married, cane or no cane,” she said, leaning down to kiss him. “I’m just glad to see you out of the chair.”

 

“You’re just glad that we can finally have sex again,” he snorted, as she tucked her face into his shoulder. “I’m glad to be out of the chair too.”

 

They laid quietly on the sofa for a while, until Lisa knocked on the door. “Are we decent,” she joked, peeking into the office. “Your lunch is here.”

 

Once Lisa and Amelia set the tray of food down on the desk, Amelia shifted Chris around on the sofa, so that he lounged across it, the pillows propped up against the arm to keep him up and comfortable. Once the rest of the hypos were administered, Amelia set his plate on his lap and moved to sit on the sofa, his feet resting on her lap.

 

“What time do you want me to pick you up later?” she asked, taking a sip of her tea. “I have to get Andy from your sisters around five and I’m going food shopping before hand.”

 

Chris looked at the time on the clock and sighed, “My last meeting is at three-fifteen and Boyce is meeting me here to give me my next set of hypos for the weekend.”

 

“So I’ll come around four-thirty,” she nodded. “We’ll get Andy and I’ll get you all set up for the rest of the night and make dinner.”

 

He watched as she ate quietly, picking at the tomatoes in her sandwich. “When you were pregnant,” he started, wiping his mouth with a napkin. “How the hell did you manage the back pain?”

 

Amelia swallowed and took a sip of her drink, “Well, I remember using that pillow your sister got me,” she shrugged. “And your _magical_ hands, which some how ended with us having sex, turning all the strained muscles into jelly.”

 

Chris snorted, “I still have that pillow,” Amelia nodded. “Maybe you should try it when you lay down for naps and stuff. It works wonders!”

 

“Me with a maternity pillow?” he chuckled. “I’ll look ridiculous.”

 

“Don’t knock it til you try it,” she shook her head. “Anything that’ll help ease the pressure off your spine and the nerves, will make you feel better. Shit, even a hot bath with those aromatherapy salts that Liz gave me will do you in.”

 

He grinned, “You wanna give me a bath?” he asked, nudging her with his sock-clad toes. “That’s pretty kinky.”

 

“I’ll put Andy’s toys in there,” she giggled. “You’ll make new friends.”

 

Chris scowled, “I know it hurts you,” she nodded. “I’ve been there with back pain and spasms, hon. Sure, it’s was nothing drastic like your injuries, but it’s a real bitch.”

 

“I just want to wake up with no pain,” he mumbled.

 

“And you will,” she nodded. “Look at how much progress you made in the eleven months since you’ve been home. McCoy almost had a heart attack when Boyce sent those recordings of you walking after six months. By the time a year comes and goes, you’ll be feeling a lot better hopefully.”

 

Chris remained silent, pushing the rest of his food around on the plate with his fork.

  
“Once you’re ready, we’ll take the baby for walks around the block,” Amelia said, taking his dish off his lap. “We can even come here to the gym and do some light exercise to strengthen all those muscles in your back and legs. Once you can finally build up the strength, you’ll be walking without that cane.”

 

“You don’t like the cane?” he asked, looking up at her.

 

She shrugged, “It does give you character,” she blushed. “Though sometimes you look like a pimp hanging around an Orion brothel house.”

 

Chris snorted, “Really now?” he asked, grinning. “That’s interesting, Mia.”

 

“Don’t get any ideas,” she warned. “I am _not_ painting myself green for your sexual pleasure.”

 

“You don’t have to paint anything,” he said, reaching out for her hand. “Just get some green panties and I’ll let my imagination run wild.”

 

Amelia laughed, patting his leg lightly. “God Chris,” she shook her head. “You keep this up and I’ll be pregnant by the time Andy can walk.”

 

He snorted, “What’s so bad about that?” he asked. “You make for a sexy pregnant lady.”

 

“After the disaster this kid put on my body,” she snorted, slowly getting up from the sofa. “I’d like to wait another year before you put a baby in there.”

 

Collecting the dishes and refilling their glasses, Amelia sat down on the floor next to the sofa and handed him the glass. “Let’s enjoy our time with the baby we have now,” she said. “He’s gonna be a year old next month and we need to capture all those moments before they pass by.”

 

He nodded, “Okay,” he said, reaching out to run his fingers through her hair.

 

Sitting in the cozy office, Chris and Amelia relaxed in the few precious moments they had, before their errands and work related adventures picked up again.

 

“Maybe we can get Andy to walk on my back,” Chris suddenly said. “He’s about twenty pounds. That should crack some bones into place.”

 

Amelia couldn’t help but laugh, covering her face with her hands and shaking her head. “Oh god,” she snorted. “If that were the case, you would’ve been healed MONTHS ago!” 


	20. First Birthday

**First Birthday**

On the third of September, as the sun shined down on San Francisco, Andrew Thomas Pike celebrated his first birthday; family and friends came to celebrate the milestone, as his proud parents smiled and held their precious baby boy.

 

“I can’t believe how big you got!” Liz exclaimed, as she held her godson. “I remember when your Mommy and Daddy brought you home from the hospital and how little you were!”

 

Andrew squealed as she kissed his cheeks, while Amelia refilled the bowls of chips and other goodies that were out on the table. Chris, Robert and Phil stood out back on the patio, as Arianna and Isabella played in the kitchen with Amelia’s sister, Brittany.

 

“So,” Robert knocked back his drink. “When can we expect the next offspring?”

 

Phil snorted as Chris scowled at him, “Not for a while,” he said, as they sat under the umbrella that kept the table out of the sun. “Mia wants to wait another year before we try for another.”

 

“Which is a smart thing, “Phil nodded. “Took the girl a full year to recover from the first one and you still have a few more months to go before you can jump out of bed for late-night feedings.”

 

“Thank you for reminding me of my cripplement,” Chris shook his head, as his brother-in-law and closest friend chuckled.

 

Amelia appeared at the backdoor at that moment, “Richard and his wife just arrived,” she said with a smile. “And Archer called to say that he would be a little late. Something with his neighbor’s dog pissing on his petunia bushes or something.”

 

Phil snorted into his beer, as Chris shook his head. “Meanwhile, if it was his damn dog that pissed on the bush, he would sing its praises,” he said, standing up. “I’ll be back.”

 

Stepping back, Amelia smiled as Chris stepped into the kitchen, pulling her in for a kiss. “How’s our boy?” he asked, as she wrapped her arms around his neck. “Is he being good?”

 

“Liz is trying to get him to say a few words,” she shrugged. “But he’s loving all the attention from his guests.”

 

“Sounds like someone else I know,” he grinned, as his nieces ran back into the kitchen with empty bowls.

 

“Uncle Chris!” Isabella gasped. “Where’s your walking stick?”

 

He chuckled, “It’s away for safe keeping,” he said, as the twins looked at him. “I only need it when I’ve been on my feet after a long day.”

 

“So we have to make sure that Uncle Chris isn’t on his feet all day today,” Amelia nodded. “Otherwise, I’ll have TWO babies to deal with tonight.”

 

As the girls giggled, Chris scowled at his wife, who smiled innocently in return. “Don’t be such a grump,” she said, taking his hand in hers. “Let’s go say hello and see how the birthday boy is doing.”

 

…………

 

The traditional “blow out the candles on the cake” routine went off without a hitch, as Andrew was serenaded by his guests, while sitting on Chris’s lap. The candle went out, as Chris “helped” the one-year old, followed by the picture taking as he and Amelia smiled for the camera.

 

“Look at you, you messy boy,” Chris snorted, as Andrew smeared buttercream icing on his face. “You like that cake?”

 

Andrew held up an icing covered hand to him, “Daddy already had some,” he said, picking up a napkin to clean off his hand. “Mommy and Uncle Phil wont let me eat anymore cake.”

 

Picking up a napkin, Chris managed to get most of the blue and green icing off Andrew’s face and hands, before feeding the rest of his slice to him. Afterwards, as Amelia and Brittany took the baby upstairs for a diaper change and to clean up, Chris and Liz managed to clear the empty plates and cups off the tables.

 

“You should sit,” Liz insisted, as she dropped the paper plates into the recycle bin. “Before Mia beats you with your cane! Go on! Sit down!”

 

Amelia found him at the table ten minutes later, as Phil took Andrew from her, so that she could have a few minutes of peace to herself and with her husband.

 

“You feeling okay?” she asked, standing in front of him. “Liz said you were hurting.”

 

“I wasn’t hurting,” he snorted, as he reached out for her. “She forced me to sit so that you wouldn’t beat me with the cane later.”

 

Amelia sat down across his lap, one arm resting around his shoulders, and giggled. “Hmmm,” she kissed him, before setting her head against his shoulder. “I probably would beat you. Can’t have you crying in pain on your son’s first birthday!”

 

He nodded, “I agree,” he said, hugging her tightly around the waist. “I can’t believe he’s one already, Mia. A year went so goddamn fast. It feels like it was only yesterday that he was placed in my arms and now he’s a walking, talking one-year-old.”

 

“I know,” she whispered, hugging him. “He’s growing up so fast, Chris.”

 

They don’t bring up the elephant in the room, one that always makes it’s appearance whenever they talk about the baby, or whenever a birthday, holiday or anniversary comes and goes. The potential “what if?” that never seems to escape their thoughts, as they make through each and every single day with experiencing life and making memories for their son to look back on in the years to come. The simple fact that Chris could’ve died out on that Romulan ship, in the black, and miss out on everything. The birthdays and milestone events; to see Andrew grow up and go to school and graduate college and possibly follow his father’s footsteps and make it to Starfleet. Seeing him get married and having his own family and to spoil his grandchildren rotten.

 

There are many other things that he could’ve missed out on, if it weren’t for Jim Kirk and his crew; their quick thinking and Jim’s ever increasing need to piss off his now- Vulcan First Officer and McCoy’s “magical hands” as Amelia called them, brought him back. Battered and bruised, but it _was_ the Christopher Pike that she married and started a family with; no matter how deep the psychological trauma that had been inflicted on him and the daily pain and frustration he went through, he was still the same man, underneath all of it.

 

“We should get those presents ready,” Amelia said, breaking the silence. “That way we can end this shindig early.”

 

“Kicking everyone out already?” Chris snorted. “I thought you wanted to celebrate by going out big with this?”

 

Amelia nodded, “I do,” she said. “And this party has been in session since noon, and it’s almost four. I kinda want everyone out by seven- seven- thirty the latest.”

 

He looked up at her, “You just want to have your way with me,” he grinned, as she blushed. “I don’t blame you.”

 

“You’re ego is almost as big as those balloons that are tied to the lamp post outside, darling. If you don’t simmer down, it’ll pop and than what?”

 

“Guess I’ll have to get you to kiss it to make it all better,” he whispered, tickling her lightly.

 

At that moment, Phil stepped into the entryway of the kitchen with Andrew on his hip. “Whoa,” he quickly covered the boy’s eyes with his hand. “You are too young to see this.”

 

Amelia and Chris broke apart and looked over at them, “Can I help you?” Chris scowled, as Phil snorted.

 

“I was going to ask if you’d like some assistance in getting this one’s presents ready,” he shrugged. “Unless you’re starting your baby making plans a little earlier than expected.”

 

Standing up, Amelia brushed the front of her dress down and went to take the baby. “You and Daddy are gonna go sit on the sofa,” she cooed to him, as he squealed. “Mommy and Uncle Phil are going to get your presents.”

 

“Dada!” Andrew screeched, as he was placed on Chris’s lap.

 

“Yes,” Chris nodded, as Andrew reached up to grab his nose. “You’re going to open all the boxes and bags that everyone brought over today.”

 

Phil chuckled, “One of Barnett’s assistants dropped off a big loot that beamed in earlier,” he said. “Right off the _Enterprise.”_

Moving to his feet, Chris shifted Andrew to his hip and sighed. “I can only imagine what Jim sent for my son,” he shook his head. “At least McCoy and Uhura have an idea on what is a suitable gift for a baby.”

 

“Oh have a little faith,” Amelia snorted, as they went into the living room. “Kirk would never send something harmful to our son and I know for a fact that McCoy and Spock made sure of it.”

 

…………..

 

Later that evening, long after the guests said their goodbyes and happy birthday’s, Andrew Thomas Pike slept quietly in his crib. The downstairs portion of the house was a wreck, as wrapping paper, bows, empty plates and cups, covered every free surface of the kitchen and living room.

 

“I’m surprised he went down this easy,” Amelia whispered, as she and Chris stood next to the crib. “Usually it’s a fight to get him into a clean diaper.”

 

Chris wrapped his arm around her shoulders, “It’s been a long day,” he nodded. “I’m sure he’ll go right back to his regular routine tomorrow night.”

 

The baby- no, now he was a _toddler_ \- shifted under the ocean-themed blanket and clutched his new stuffed sehlat in his arms; courtesy of “Uncle Jim” as the card read, when it was opened before the tissue paper went flying out of the gift bag.

 

“That may just be his favorite toy,” Amelia giggled, as the boy made an array of sounds in his sleep. “We’ll have to send Uncle Jim a picture and a nice thank you card.”

 

After a few minutes, the couple quietly left the room, double-checking the baby monitor before closing the door halfway behind them. They quickly went back downstairs and collected the garbage, dropping everything into the disposal near the oven, before locking up the house.

 

“For a first birthday party, it wasn’t so bad,” Amelia, yawned, as they snuggled into bed.

 

“Just wait until he makes friends,” Chris chuckled. “It’ll take an army to clean this place up afterwards.”

 

She nodded in the darkness of their bedroom, before moving closer to rest her head on his chest. One leg wrapped around his lightly, her toes brushing gently against his ankle.

 

“Tomorrow we should have a lazy day,” he mumbled, as exhaustion began to consume him. “You, me and the baby. We can curl up in bed with the dog and sleep til noon.”

 

“I thought you were done with sleeping in late?” she yawned. “Mr. “I’m-an-Admiral-and-I-need-to-take-this-seriously,” crap that you’ve been going on and on about for the last three months.”

 

Chris nudged her lightly, “You forget that I can do what I want as Admiral,” he shot back, earning a snort from her. “Technically, I’m still listed with “limited” activity.”

 

“Last night’s events tell a different story, sweetheart,” she sighed, stretching out under the blanket. “But if you want a lazy day, then we can have one.”

 

“Good,” he yawned. “Goodnight.”

 

Amelia snored in response. 


	21. Houses

_Houses_

Amelia can remember the first time she spent the night at Chris’s place. It had also been the first time she’d ever been to his place, the two-story house that laid three blocks away from the Academy. Everything had been neat- military neat- and it made her slightly more nervous than she was on the drive over. She was hesitant to even take one step away from the front door, as Chris carried her duffle bag over to the stairs. That any sudden movement would put something out of place, which would no doubt ruin a perfect evening.

 

Being at his place opened her eyes and made her realize that she lived like a pig or like one of his cadets, slumming it up in a dorm room. She had books all over the place, covering every table and shelf. Her closet looked like a bombsite, clothes scattered on the floor, shelves and shoved along the bar in the closet. Each room of her apartment was a different color, since she couldn’t decide on one choice when she’d moved in three years previously.

 

 While Chris swore he was fine with her mess, she knew deep down that it bothered him. Some mornings, after he spent the night, she expected to wake up and find everything sorted and put away nicely. Amelia couldn’t understand how Chris continued to stay with her; long after the first night he spent with her. While they were compatible on everything else, their living situations were critical.

 

“Are you sure you’re alright?” Chris asked, as she stood against the counter of his sparkling kitchen. “You’ve been staring at the floor for the last ten minutes.”

 

Amelia nodded, “Yeah, just zoned out there for a moment,” she said, putting a smile on her face.

 

Chris handed her a glass of wine, which she held firmly in her hand, and led her to the living room. Amelia silently prayed that every drop of the wine stayed in her glass, as she sat down next to him. They drank their wine in total silence, as an occasional car zoomed by or a dog bark in the yard next door.

 

“Alright,” Chris finally said, breaking the tension. “What’s wrong?”

 

Amelia watched as he set his glass down on the coffee table- no coaster- and turned to look at her. She shook her head and he sighed, resting his elbow against the back cushion.

 

“Amelia, you look like you’re about to stand in court against a Klingon,” he said, as she looked down at the wine. “Tell me what’s wrong.”

 

She sighed, “I’m nervous,” she finally said. “Being here at your place.”

 

Chris frowned, “Why? It’s not like we haven’t slept together before,” he said.

 

Leaning forward, Amelia carefully set her glass down on the table and sat back, pulling her legs up under her.

 

“You’re house is so neat and organized,” she said, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear. “And I live like a slob and I can’t believe you haven’t even said anything to me about it. Or hired someone to clean my apartment because it’s a danger zone, waiting to claim its first victim that isn’t me!”

 

She remembers Chris laughing at her and pulling her into his arms, assuring her that he didn’t care how she lived and that a little mess never hurt anyone.

 

……….

 

Shortly before they were married, they bought a bigger house on the opposite side of town. They’d made sure it would be big enough to dispense all their personality and creativity, which would clash horribly together. It would be the first time, living together, putting off the impending “move in with me” phase of their relationship. As much as she wanted to, Amelia always said no when Chris asked her to move in.

 

“ _I wont move in with you until I know this is going to last forever, Chris. Do you realize how hard it is to find an apartment in this city? If we were to break up, I’d be homeless or moving back to Colorado and into my parents house!”_

Eventually he proposed to her after a silly fight over what to do for Spring Break, she finally gave in and agreed to move in with him. But Chris’ house was too small, with just two bedrooms and one bathroom, and it wouldn’t be enough space for their personalities.

 

“ _We need a lot of space! As much as I love you, there are moments when I don’t even want to look at you after a bad fight,”_

_“I guess we’ll need a house big enough for all your books?”_

They eventually settled for a four bedroom, two-bathroom ranch, with a huge backyard for Watson. It also had enough space for all her books and for any children they’d be blessed with. It also gave them enough wall space to paint with whatever color they wanted, though they fought over that aspect as well. In the end, the house turned out beautifully and had a little bit of him and her all over the place.

 

……….

 

By the time Andrew was one and a half, the house was a disaster. Toys scattered about, along with clothes and other miscellaneous objects became a danger zone for anyone who walked by. Over time, the house changed to accommodate Chris and the wheelchair. Once he started walking for more than twenty minutes, the house slowly went back to how it was before children and horrible accidents came along.

 

“Dammit! Why did Jim have to buy Lego’s!” Amelia shouted, as she limped into the kitchen.

  
Chris sat at the table with Andrew in his lap, reading the paper. “Because according to Uncle Jim, Lego’s are the best way to jumpstart creativity,” he drawled, a victim to the awful toy blocks himself.

 

“Yeah well, whatever happened to crayons? Or puzzles?” she said, through gritted teeth, as she threw herself down on the chair next to him. “That shit hurt like a motherf-“ she started, before Chris stopped her with a stare. “Sorry.”

 

“Ma! Ma!” Andrew squealed, slapping his hands down on the paper. “Joose!”

 

Amelia sighed and pulled herself up off the chair and went to put his sippy cup together, “I managed to get most of the laundry done,” she announced, as she pushed the cap down onto the cup. “We have clean sheets and pillowcases ready to be put on the bed!”

 

Chris chuckled, “I can’t even begin to tell you how exciting that is, since the last time we changed the sheets was almost a month ago.”

 

“I’ve become a lazy wife, Chris.”

 

“Amelia,” he started. “That’s not true and you know it,” he said.

 

Andrew reached his hands out for his cup as Amelia brought it over to him, “We’ve been busy with this one here,” he said, kissing the top of Andrew’s head. “I’m surprised we even had time to clean the dishes last night.”

 

“Oh god. Maybe we should hire a housekeeper or something,” she groaned, rubbing her hands against her face. “Maybe you can get one since you’re an Admiral!”

 

Chris rolled his eyes, “We don’t need a housekeeper. We just need to get into the motion of cleaning up and eventually we’ll get back into it.”

 

“I can admit that I do miss the way the house looked before this little monster came along,” Amelia growled, as she lightly tickled Andrew. “I was actually good at keeping a clean house!”

 

“Did you really think I expected to live the way I used to before we got married? I knew that once we had kids, our home would never look the same again,” he said.

 

Amelia groaned, “And it’ll be even more messier when he gets older,” she pouted. “All the dirt he’ll track in from outside and his room,” she whined. “Why couldn’t you be a girl, Andrew?” she joked.

 

Chris sighed and wiped the juice off Andrew’s chin, “I guess Daddy will have to try harder next time,” he said, as Andrew giggled at the excessive amounts of tickles he was receiving.

 

……

 

When Catherine Elizabeth Pike started walking, she took things down with her. First it was a vase of roses in the living room, and then it was a stack of PADDs in Chris’ office.

 

“Goodness Cat! Is there anything you haven’t broken yet?” Chris asked, as he carried her out of the kitchen and into the living room.

 

“Daddy! Cat breaks everything!” Andrew said, as he looked up from his spot on the floor.

 

“Drew! Drew!” Cat squealed, pointing to her brother. “’Oggy!”

 

Watson lifted his head up and groaned, before laying his head back down. Andrew giggled, as he laid against the old companion. Chris placed Catherine down and watched as she wobbled over to her brother and Watson.

 

“Please don’t break anything else,” he begged, as Catherine plopped down next to Andrew. “You’re mother should be home soon.”

 

He put a movie on and the kids immediately glued their eyes to the screen, allowing him to move back into the kitchen. Once the shattered pieces of the fruit bowl were in the trash and the excess shards swept up, Chris sat down at the table and let out a tired sigh. As the years went on, the house had changed. The bedrooms changed in color and the furniture replaced, after the children found markers and other things to place upon the once pristine oak.

 

When Amelia became pregnant with Catherine, she was filled with excitement and assured Chris that it would be easier, raising a girl. Chris knew that she was full of shit, knowing exactly what it was like living with a sister. But Amelia told him to shut up and trust her, which he did for a while until the blue-eyed girl started walking.

 

“Mommy!”

 

“Mama!”

 

The sound little feet stomping into the carpet and the front door closing filled the air, as Amelia laughed.

 

“Hi babies! Were you good for your father?” she asked, as they babbled and demanded for her attention.

 

Five minutes later, Amelia came into the kitchen with both children and smiled at her husband.

 

“You look exhausted,” she said, before placing a kiss on his lips. “I take it you had a rough day?” she asked.

 

Chris snorted, “Rough doesn’t even begin to cover it,” he said, as Andrew climbed up onto his lap. “I think we need a GPS for that one.”

Amelia laughed, “Uh oh, what did you do now Cat?” she asked, placing a noisy kiss on her cheek. “Why are the apples in a plastic bowl?”

 

“You’re daughter managed to pull the table runner off the table, and the entire thing came crashing down. Apples and glass everywhere,” he said, as Andrew laughed.

 

“Cat is bad girl!” he said, shaking his head.

 

“Bad! Bad! Bad!” Cat chanted, as she patted Amelia’s face with her hands.

 

She reached up and pulled her hands down, “Yes you are.”

 

Dropping the keys onto the table, Amelia shifted the two fifteen month old from one hip to the other. “Did you guys eat?” she asked, looking from her daughter to her husband and son.

 

“We ate cookies!” Andrew squealed. “And juice!”

 

Amelia sighed, “How about you and Cat go back into the other room and watch the movie?” she asked. “Mommy’s going to start dinner in a little bit and we’ll let Daddy rest.”

 

Seting Catherine down on her feet, she watched as the kids rumbled off into the next room, before turning her attention back to Chris. “Really? Cookies and juice?”

 

“It was easier for me to put together,” he whined. “Mia, they run all over the place and leave a disaster behind them. Plus, I had to make sure every piece of glass was off this floor before Watson came in here. The last thing I needed was for you to get a call that I had to take the kids to the hospital to have glass removed from their feet.

 

“Honey,” she stepped up to him, resting her hands on his shoulder. “I think you need a vaction.”

 

Chris frowned, “Me?” he exclaimed, as she nodded. “I’m not going on a vacation by myself! If anything, we’re both going on a vacation and those two can go to Liz and Rob!”

 

She snorted, bending down to kiss him into silence. “How about I fix you a drink and you go out back and relax for a while? Bring Watson with you and I’ll get dinner started and get the kids cleaned up.”

 

“You’re too good for words,” he groaned, wrapping his arms around her waist. “How was work?”

 

She shrugged, “Sucked,” she sighed. “But at least it’s three days a week for seven hours.”

 

He kissed her cheek, “It’s a good thing I took the option to work from home, huh?” he asked. “Better make that drink before I take you upstairs.”

 

Amelia snorted and pushed away from him, moving to get the bottle of whiskey from the cabinet above the dishwasher. Once she handed him a glass, Chris was up off the chair and moving to the back door, calling for Watson. Sitting down in the lounge chair, Chris set the glass on the arm and stretched back against the cushions. The lawn, much like the house, was scattered with toys; both the kids and the dogs, covering the grass and in the flower beds. In the pool, still open despite the fact that it was September and school was back in session, became a gravesite for many of Catherine’s Barbie dolls, along with a tiny shovel and the watering can.

 

Watson yawned, stretching out at the foot of the chair, letting out a tired huff from the day’s activities.

 

“I know, old boy,” Chris sighed, closing his eyes. “You were always the cleanest baby of them all.”

 

 


	22. Lace

**Lace**

Growing up, Chris saw lace in various places of his childhood home; curtains and table runners. His grandmother’s vintage tea dresses from the twenty-first century and the handkerchiefs she carried around in her purse. At ten years old, lace was considered classy and elegant; a fabric used for hundreds and hundreds of years. 

 

Chris didn’t expect to see lace in the form of racy undergarments, thirty some odd years later, when Amelia stepped out of the bathroom one morning.

 

“What the hell are you wearing?” he asks, as she makes her way over to the overnight bag that sat on the floor.

 

She frowns, “Underwear?”

 

Chris sits up in bed, his eyes raking over the hot pink lace thong and swallows heavily. “It’s lace.”

 

“Yes,” she nods, smiling at him. “I know.”

 

The bag sits on the floor, long forgotten, as Amelia makes her way over to the bed. “I wear lots of lace,” she purrs, crawling up to him. “In all various forms of color.”

 

Long before he met Amelia, Chris’s knowledge on undergarments had been minimal. Being a young and good-looking captain, his bachelor status made him available when it came to hookups. Many of the women he encountered on shore leave and during foreign diplomacy meetings on various planets, usually went commando under their short skirts. He was a firm believer that the basic, standard white cotton panties, were the favorable piece of clothing that women chose.

 

But the colorful lace thongs that Amelia wore, along with lace boy shorts and other various cuts, that found their way on his bedroom floor or in the wash with his clothes, proved other wise.

 

………..

 

Her wedding dress contained a few pieces of lace, both on top and underneath, when she married him two years after their first date. The tea length white gown fits her like a glove, making her look younger than her twenty-eight years. She’s the most beautiful thing in the room, as they become husband and wife.

 

“You and your lace,” Chris snorts, as they step out into the sunshine.

 

“Just wait until you see what I have underneath,” she whispers, as they climb into the hovercar waiting for them. “And what I’ve packed for the honeymoon.”

 

Sure enough, as they spend their wedding night and weeklong honeymoon in Alaska, Chris demands that she wear nothing but lace under all her clothes.

 

……….

 

On their thirteen-year anniversary, Amelia wears white lace to surprise her husband. They’ve managed to hand the kids over to Liz and Robert for the day, as they celebrate thirteen years of love, happiness and everything imaginable since saying "I Do". It’s a brand new set, purchased two weeks beforehand, and Chris can’t keep his eyes or his hands off her as she comes out of the bedroom.

 

Afterwards, as the lace panties hang off the lampshade and the matching bra thrown into the corner, Amelia can’t help but laugh.

 

“What’s so funny?” Chris asks, rolling over to look at her.

 

“Nothing,” she shakes her head, giggling like mad. “It’s just.. the way you get whenever I wear lace. You turn into a horny teenaged boy.”

 

He chuckles, “I can’t help it,” he yawns. “I have a very sexy wife, who likes to wear strings instead of normal underwear.”

 

“To which you have expanded in the last fifteen years we’ve been together,” she giggles. “Remember that really skimpy red number you picked out, the first time you went shopping with me?”

 

“I distinctively remember it on the floor of my kitchen,” Chris frowns. “By the time I had my way with you, it was scraps.”

 

The blanket shifts as she snuggles closer to him, “Hmm, it was,” she nods. “Happy anniversary, baby.”

 

“Happy anniversary,” he grins into the damp curls against her forehead.

 

……………

Twelve weeks later, as Amelia gets ready to hop in the shower, she stands before the counter in her underwear.

 

“Mia,” Chris knocks on the door, before pushing it open. “I’m going to order some take ou-what’s wrong?”

 

She looks up at him and sighs, holding up the plastic stick in her hand. “Um… surprise?” she manages a weak grin.

 

Chris sets the takeout menu on the counter and takes the positive pregnancy test from her hands, looking down at the results. “Holy shit,” he whispers, as Amelia fidgets before him. “Our anniversary!”

 

“Guess those lace panties were a good luck charm, huh?” she says, as he looks up at her. “Are you…upset?”

 

“How can I be upset?” he asks, wrapping his arm around her bare waist. “We’re having another baby!”

 

For the first time in weeks, Amelia feels the relief flooding her, as she gives him a genuine smile. “Yes,” she nods, as he kisses her forehead. “We’re having another baby.”

 

“I’m getting you lace panties for every birthday, anniversary and holiday,” he chuckles, kissing her on the forehead, cheeks and lips. “Every color you can think of.”

 

Amelia snorts, “If you think that’s going to get a baby out of me, you can kiss my ass,” she giggles, squirming as he tickles her. “I need to take a shower and you need to order dinner! Before Liz calls and demands that we pick up our monsters!”

 

He gives her a soft and sweet kiss on the lips, his hands lingering against her hips as his fingers dance across the lace that covers them. “Love you,” he whispers, as she sighs.

 

“Love you, too,” she smirks. “Pick out something lacy to celebrate, yeah?”

 

 


	23. Decisions

**Decisions.**

 

Amelia stood against the counter in the bathroom, watching as Chris dressed for bed. The standard Admiral uniform was set on the back of the chair near the closet, the pristine boots on the floor next to it. For a split second, Amelia had the urge to take the garment downstairs and burn it in the fireplace. At that moment, she hated Starfleet and a particular Admiral that her husband worked with.

 

“Are you going to stand in there all night?” Chris finally asked, as he turned the covers down on their bed. “Because if so, close the damn door.”

 

“Shut up, Chris,” she snapped, moving out of the tiny bathroom. “Just.. shut the hell up for once.”

 

Chris rolled his eyes, “I didn’t even say yes to Marcus,” he said, as she went to the dresser. “Told him I had to talk to you first.”

She snorted, “Gee thanks,” she snapped, taking her rings off for the evening. “Just what I need. Alexander Marcus blaming me for the _Enterprise_ going back up without a captain.”

 

“Mia, enough!” he snapped, as she kicked off her slippers. “What else do you want me to do? I told Marcus that it was nice of him to think of me as Kirk’s replacement but that I needed to consult you first. Things are different now, especially with the kids.”

 

“So what do you want me to say?” she asked, watching as he got into bed. “If you think I’m saying yes to you going back up into space for god knows how long, then you can kiss my ass, Christopher.”

 

He sighed, “Then I will tell Marcus no and I will find someone else to take Kirk’s place,” he said. “That’s all I want you to say, Mia. Can’t you just say, “Chris, I don’t want you going back,” and that’s it?”

 

She glared at him, “I’m pregnant so excuse me for have a short fuse, asshole! I just find it hard to believe that after all this time, Marcus wants Kirk out for breaking a bunch of ridiculous rules, when he’s done loads of other things that made you hit the bottle hard!”

 

Chris shook his head as she continued. “You should’ve told him no right after he offered!” she yelled. “I cannot _stand_ that man at all! Ever since we started dating, he’s looked at me as if I were some…. gold-digging whore, searching for a higher social status. I hate the way he speaks to me, to our kids and to you! Hell, he’s rude to the kids on the ship, the way he criticizes Jim and Spock as if they’re incapable of doing anything right!”

 

“Well, what Jim and Spock did this time was not smart,” Chris pointed out. “They went against the Prime Directive, which is the first thing they teach you in Starfleet. You disobey that and you’re done.”

 

“Yeah well, I don’t appreciate the way Marcus talks to the people who saved your life,” she shook her head. “How you ever looked up to that man is beyond me, Chris. He’s awful.”

 

“Come here,” he sighed, patting the mattress with his hand.

 

Amelia made her way across the room and climbed up onto the bed, minding her belly as she moved to lay next to Chris. Wrapping his arm around her shoulders, he pressed a kiss against her forehead and sighed.

 

“As much as I love going out into the black, I wouldn’t want to leave you, Andrew and Cat down here all alone,” he said. “I could’ve been sent out on a five year mission by the end of the week, had I said yes. Would’ve missed a lot in five years.”

 

“And I would’ve killed you if you left me alone to give birth to this one here,” she said, as his hand moved down to her belly. “I know you miss it, Chris. I do! But we need you here and I almost lost you twice, so forgive me for being selfish and wanting to keep you with us for a long time.”

 

Chris chuckled, “You’re not selfish, Mia,” he insisted, as she snuggled closer to him. “I’m sure Kirk will get his spot back, once they realize that there’s really no one cut for commanding the _Enterprise._ Besides, I think I can get Kirk and Spock back onboard with warnings on their files.”

 

Amelia huffed, “I’m going to beat Kirk senseless tomorrow,” she yawned. “Spock can try to Vulcan pinch me all he wants, but Kirk’s getting a stern warning for pissing off a pregnant woman.”

 

“I’m sure Spock would actually enjoy watching you ream Kirk,” he laughed. “Tomorrow I’ll let Marcus know my decision and I’ll come home for lunch and that’s it.”

 

She smiled, “Good,” she nodded, pressing a kiss to his cheek. “Ready for bed?”

 

“I am if you are,” he nodded, pulling the heavy comforter up. “I’m sorry for making you mad, Mia. It wasn’t my intention at all.”

 

“I know,” she yawned again. “Sometimes I just worry that you’re getting bored down here and that you’ll jump at any given chance to go back.”

 

Chris held her tightly as he could, minding her midsection. “I could never be bored here with you and the kids,” he said quietly, as she wrapped her leg around his. “This is my life now and I’m getting too old to ride off into the stars. My place is here with you and the kids and that’s it.”

 

“Good boy,” she mumbled, before letting out a tired sigh. “Night.”

 

He kissed her forehead again, “Goodnight, Mia.”

 

………

 

Telling Marcus the next morning didn’t go well, as the older Admiral sat behind his desk in utter confusion.

 

“You..You’re turning down captaincy for the _Enterprise?”_ he asked, frowning. “Pike, this is your second chance to go out there on your ship.”

 

“Kirks’ ship,” he corrected him. “Marcus, that ship should be under Kirk’s command, not mine. It’s been a long time since I’ve sat in the captain’s seat and I’m not confident enough to do it.”

 

Marcus sighed, “If Amelia…” he started, before Chris cut him off. 

“What my wife and I discussed is our business,” he replied sharply. “I’m saying no and that’s final. It would be wise to give command back to Kirk, with me and Barnett supervising him and the others. Full warnings in the command crew’s files and the warning of court-martialed if they break the rules again.”

 

The older man sat back in his seat, tapping the stylus against the desk. “Sounds like you’ve had this planned,” he stated.

 

“I called up Barnett and he agrees with me,” Chris nodded. “As does Archer.”

 

“They went against the Prime Directive, Chris. You know that’s a serious offense,” Marcus pointed out.

 

Chris nodded, “To which I’m sure they understand clearly, especially Kirk,” he agreed. “But that ship belongs to them, Alex. Kirk’s done a lot of shit over the years and we’ve let him slide by with a warning. I know what he and the others did was wrong, but if you take him out of that captain’s chair, then what’s the point of sending her back up? And sending him back to the academy?”

 

Marcus sighed, “I’ll have to talk with the other Admirals before I make my decision,” he said, sitting up. “You’re dismissed, Pike.”

 

Shaking his head, Chris stood from the chair and started towards the door, only to stop when Marcus addressed him again.

 

“You know, in all the years I’ve known you, I never thought you’d go soft and let a woman tell you what to do,” he said, shaking his head.

 

Chris turned to look at him, “No one questioned you when you went back up into space, six hours after Carol was born,” he threw back. “So don’t question my decision, when it comes to my personal life.”

 

Marcus shook his head, “And I will not tolerate how you speak about my wife and my children,” Chris continued. “There comes a time in everyone’s life when you need to reevaluate what’s important to you and for me, that’s my family.”

 

“You can do both, Chris,” Marcus said quietly.

 

“Maybe you can, but I can’t,” Chris shook his head. “I _won’t._ “

He then straightened the sleeves of his uniform and nodded briskly, “I will await your decision, _Admiral._ I just hope it’s the right one.”

 

Turning quickly on his heel, Chris stepped out of the office and out into the hallway, eager to get home quickly.

 

……….

 

By the time the hovercar pulled into the driveway, Chris was ready to crash for a year. Exhausted, he climbed out of the car and made his way up the pathway to the front door, stepping over the toys that littered the path.

 

He knew company was inside, considering the hovercar out front belonged to Starfleet. Unlocking the front door, Chris smiled at the sound of the kids playing in the living room, while Amelia barked orders in the kitchen.

 

“Daddy!” Catherine squealed, as she rushed over to him.

 

“Hey, sweetheart,” he said, picking the four year old up. “Did you have fun today with Mommy?”

 

She nodded, “Uncle Jim’s here and Mommy yelled at him!” she beamed, as her father kissed her cheek. “Guess what?”

 

Chris chuckled, “What?” he asked, as they started towards the kitchen.

 

“I saw Uncle Spock _smile!”_ she gasped, surprising her self by saying the word. “It was a baby smile but I seens it!”

 

He snorted, “I wish I was here to see it,” he said, as she hugged him. “I’m guessing Uncle Spock is in the kitchen with Mommy?”

 

Catherine nodded, “He’s talking about his doggie that he had when he was a baby,” she reported. “Mommy made bread and other stuff and Uncle Jim is giving the bowl a bath! ”

 

Stepping into the kitchen, he was greeted with an amusing scene. At one counter, Amelia was preparing lunch, while Spock and Andrew put together a salad. On the other side of the kitchen, Jim had his hands elbow deep in soapy water, muttering as he scrubbed the dishes.

 

“What as that, James?” Amelia asked, turning to look at him. “Did you mutter something over there?”

 

Jim turned to look at her, “No, Ma’am,” he shook his head, lifting his hands out of the water.

 

Chris snorted at the pink rubber gloves, which gave away his arrival. Jim glared at him before turning back to the sink, while Andrew waved at him.

 

“Hey buddy,” he ruffled Andrew’s hair. “Helping Uncle Spock, huh? You never help me when I ask you.”

 

“I do too!” the six year old gasped, as Catherine giggled.

 

Chris snorted, “I’m just teasing, Andy,” he shook his head, as he made his way over to Amelia. “Hello.”

 

She smiled at him, accepting the quick kiss. “Hell to you too, Admiral,” she whispered, making him blush. “How’d the meeting go?”

  
“Could’ve been better, but Marcus is going to talk to the other Admirals soon,” he nodded. “I basically told him to fuck off and to mind his business when it came to you and the kids.”

 

“Blamed me, huh?” she shook her head. “I wish we could maroon him on a dead planet.”

 

Setting Catherine down on her feet, Chris wrapped his arm around her waist. “Don’t worry about him,” he whispered, kissing her cheek. “Miss Catherine said you were yelling at Jim. I take it that it lead to him wearing your rubber gloves.”

 

She nodded, “I made sure that James knew how mad I was,” she said, cutting a sandwich in half. “And that if he does it again, he’ll be on diaper duty before he goes anywhere.”

 

“I will pay many credits to see that,” he snorted, as he kissed her again. ”I’m going upstairs to change, so try not to kill anyone.”

 

………

 

 

By five that afternoon, under the command of Admiral Alexander Marcus, Captain James T. Kirk was reinstated as Captain of the _Enterprise._

As the young captain whooped and cheered in Pike’s backyard, calling up McCoy and Sulu, Chris knew that he made the right decision.

 

 


	24. Marcus

**Marcus**

There were very few people that Amelia disliked at Starfleet, but Alexander Marcus was the cherry on top of a melting sundae. The first time she met the man, was at a Starfleet gala, just six weeks after she and Chris started dating. It was a fancy event, welcoming some foreign species that Amelia couldn’t pronounce, to the campus to celebrate the final proposal of welcoming them as students to the Academy. Amelia knew about the event for two whole weeks, spending her weekends at the mall to find the perfect dress.

 

All done up and wearing a gown of periwinkle blue chiffon, Amelia felt like a princess. Of course, Chris looked handsome in his dress uniform, coming by at six on the dot to collect her from her apartment.

 

“ _You look stunning,” he said, after spending five minutes just staring and gaping at her. “I must say, and not to sound so full of myself, but everyone is going to be so jealous that you’re with me.”_

And sure enough, they were. Boyce joked openly with Chris about his “gorgeous date”, while Barnett noted how they both complimented each other.

 

“ _Old Hollywood royalty is what they would’ve called you a long time ago,” he nodded. “You better keep and eye on her, Pike. There are too many men who would whisk her up before you could blink.”_

One of those men turned out to be Alexander Marcus; recently returned from a mission in deep space for six months.

 

Amelia excused herself, as Chris and Phil chatted with a group of foreign diplomats, to get another drink.

  
“You sure you don’t want me to go with you?” Chris asked.

  
“Honey, I’ll be fine,” she insisted, as he rubbed her arm. “You go on and talk politics or whatever that man is saying.”

 

He chuckled, “Don’t take too long,” he whispered, kissing her softly on the lips.

 

Weaving her way though the bodies of Starfleet officers and their dates, Amelia finally reached the bar and smiled at the bartender.

 

“What can I get ya?” she asked, leaning against the counter.

 

“Ummm, something that isn’t too strong?” she winced. “Sorry, this is my first Starfleet event and I really don’t want to get shitfaced.”

 

The woman laughed, “Give me two minutes,” she nodded, moving across the bar to grab a glass.

 

As Amelia waited, she turned and watched as the people mingled with one another. The day before, during a quick lunch break with Chris, she’d learned that everyone in Starfleet counted down the days until an event like this.

 

“ _Many of us don’t have to work the next day, since it’s held on a Friday night,” he said, sipping his coffee. “Luckily, I’m one of the many that has the entire weekend off.”_

The event was due to end by eleven, but she knew that Chris would want to stay back to catch up with friends that recently returned from missions before they went off to see their families.

 

“Here you go, love.”

 

Turning around, Amelia gasped at the bright green and yellow drink, topped with two grapes on a plastic spear.

 

“It’s a bit sweet, but it’s got more fruit juice than vodka,” the woman promised. “That should keep you happy and sober until it’s time to leave.”

 

“Thank you,” Amelia nodded, handing over a few credits.

 

Making her way back to Chris, Amelia walked carefully and held the drink away from her. The last thing she wanted, was to spill the entire thing on the dress that took forever to find.

 

“Archer is always “too sick” to come to these things,” Phil chuckled. “You know he’s sitting at home with that damn dog, feeding it god only knows what while watching that ridiculous soap opera.”

 

The boys chuckled as she made her way back to Chris, “Hey! There’s the lovely lady!” Phil exclaimed, as she blushed. “And that is a very interesting drink you have there.”

 

“It’s more like a juice than anything,” she said, as Chris wrapped his arm around her waist.

 

“Aw damn,” one of the younger officers muttered. “Here comes Marcus.”

 

Amelia frowned at the officer, ready to ask what he meant, when the older man stepped up to the group.   
  
“Well, if it isn’t Christopher Pike,” he grinned, making Amelia shudder. “Its’ been a while, son.”

 

Chris nodded, “So it has, Alex,” he said, shaking the man’s hand. “I heard you just got back from your tour.”

 

He nodded, “This morning,” he confirmed. “Of course I had to stop and see Carol before this damn thing.”

 

Then, turning his gaze onto Amelia, he grinned. “And who might this be?” he asked. “Is this your sister’s kid?”

 

Amelia gripped her glass tightly, fighting the urge to toss the pretty drink into his face. While she was attracted to older men, Alexander Marcus was anything but sexy. Just by looking at him, she sensed that he was a mean and cold-spirited man; his blue eyes were like ice and his grin looked anything but friendly.

 

“This is Amelia,” Chris said, squeezing her hip. “My girlfriend.”

 

“Girlfriend?” Marcus chuckled. “My, my.. she must be the same age as Carol!”

 

Next to Chris, Phil muttered under his breath at the comment, while Chris shook his head. “Robbin’ the cradle, huh?” Marcus winked.

 

“What cradle?” Amelia finally said, startling both Chris and Phil. “I don’t see any infants or toddlers around here.”

 

She made a show of looking around for them, “Do you see any kids?” she asked, turning to look at Chris. “I could’ve sworn the invitation said that guests had to be eighteen or older to get in.”

 

Phil snorted behind his hand, turning to look away from them, as Marcus blinked. “She’s a funny one,” he said, as Amelia gave him a fake smile. “I bet she keeps you on your toes.”

 

“That she does,” Chris said, looking down at her with a smile. “Will you excuse us? I promised my girl a dance or two and I intend on doing just that.”

 

Handing her drink over to Phil, Amelia took Chris’ hand and followed him out onto the dance floor. “I hope I didn’t get you in trouble,” she said, as he wrapped his arm around her waist. “And I’m sorry for speaking like that to an Officer.”

 

“Mia,” he chuckled, kissing her forehead. “The look on is face was worth every damn minute. I’ve never seen anyone, let alone a woman, talk to him like that before.”

 

She blushed, “He doesn’t seem very nice, Chris,” she pointed out.

 

He nodded, “Marcus can be very blunt with his words, as you saw,” he said, as they swayed to the music. “He’s the one that recruited me and was my mentor for all my years as a Cadet.”

 

“At least he did one thing right,” Amelia said, as she smiled. “You didn’t turn out to be a creepy old man.”

 

“Damn,” Chris shook his head, making her giggle. “You don’t have to worry about Marcus. He’s been in and out of space for the last four years and you wont have to worry about running into him on campus.”

 

Amelia nodded and rested the side of her head against his cheek, “I can’t wait to spend the weekend with you,” she whispered, as he wrapped both arms around her.

 

Over his shoulder, Amelia spotted Phil and the others conversing, picking up on whatever they were talking about before Marcus showed up. Moving her gaze from them, Amelia spotted him near the bar. He was watching them. Watching _her._

 

She felt Chris’ grip around her waist tighten and the soft, “Mia..” that escaped between his lips, which tore her gaze off of the man at the bar.

 

From that moment, Amelia knew that she would live and learn to fear Alexander Marcus.

 

………..

 

The next time she saw him, was two weeks before her wedding. Rushing across the campus grounds, Amelia cursed as she glanced at her watch. Already five minutes late for her lunch date with Chris, Amelia was in no mood to be stopped by anyone. But things didn’t always work out in her favor.

 

“Well, if it isn’t the dutiful girlfriend.”

 

Amelia stopped dead in her tracks, her blood running cold at the sound of that voice. Swallowing the lump in her throat, Amelia turned and spotted him on one of the benches.

 

“That’s a lovely dress you’re wearing, Amelia,” Marcus said, eyeing her like a piece of meat on the market. “On your way to see someone?”

 

“Yes,” she nodded briefly. “Though it’s really none of your business, now is it?”

 

Marcus chuckled, “No, I guess it’s not,” he admitted, as she rolled her eyes. “But it is my business if a gold-digger like you, is after one of my former students.”

 

Amelia’s eyes narrowed, “Excuse me?”

 

“I’ve met plenty of women like you, Amelia,” he said, standing up from the bench. “Hell, I had the misfortune of marrying one. A Starfleet groupie, finding pleasure and money by attaching themselves to Captains and Admirals. I knew you were one from the second I laid eyes on you.”

 

She was unable to speak, too shocked and disgusted to hear him speak to her like that.

 

“We all know Pike is a real big softy,” he continued, shaking his head. “Poor guy just doesn’t notice when he’s getting played.”

 

“Pardon me, but you can kindly go and fuck yourself,” Amelia snapped, earning a chuckle from him. “How _dare_ you speak to me like that! To speak about my relationship with Chris, claiming it to be nothing but fake!”

 

Marcus shrugged, “I call it like I see it,” he said.

 

Amelia glared at him, “You’re a piece of shit.”

 

“And you’re a whore,” he shot back. “I’m sure I could show you a better time, baby. How much does a whore like you cost?”

 

Shaking her head in disgust, Amelia quickly turned on her heel and stormed down the cobblestone pathway that lead to the Administration building; Marcus’ cold laughter followed her all the way to Chris’ office, where she fell into his arms and cried.

 

……….

 

Over the years, as Chris went from Captain to Admiral and the birth of their children, Amelia avoided all Starfleet events. Those special occasions when she could dress up in a pretty dress and hand the kids off to the sitter were moments that she once enjoyed. Now, they were tainted with everything that was Marcus and it broke her heart.

 

“ _I would love nothing more than to dress up and go with you,” she said, when Chris showed her the invitation to a black tie event. “But I know he’s going to be there and I will not stand there and let him talk about us the way he does.”_

When their true friends came by for dinner or on the weekends for barbeques, they told her about all the things Marcus would say. How she “forced” Chris to work Earthside, just to get the big paycheck for their three little “brats”. How she had his balls in a tight grip, refusing to let him do anything.

 

“ _I hate that son of a bitch!” she screeched one night, after Archer told them about the rumor Marcus spread about her sleeping with Phil. “Chris, I don’t know how much more of it I can take!”_

Seeing his wife cry over the pain that Marcus inflicted on them, killed Chris. While the man was the reason why he got into Starfleet, he was also causing problems in his personal life. After all the years of hard work and service, Chris couldn’t really celebrate his victories. Amelia never wanted to go out to the parties and fundraisers, opting to stay at home with the kids or to get the never-ending housework done.

 

It wasn’t until the fiasco with Kirk and his crew breaking the Prime Directive, for Chris to finally snap. Marcus wanted him back in the Captain’s chair, taking the _Enterprise_ off into the black. Amelia was seven months pregnant with their third child and extremely pissed off when he brought home the news.

 

_“I know you miss it, Chris. I do! But we need you here and I almost lost you twice, so forgive me for being selfish and wanting to keep you with us for a long time.”_

 

The next morning, after kissing his wife and kids goodbye, Chris went to Marcus and told him his decision. That he wouldn’t be going anywhere and that he and Barnett wanted Kirk and his crew back on the _Enterprise._ Of course, Marcus said what he had to say about Amelia and how he never thought Chris would let a woman dictate everything he did in life.

 

In return, Chris kindly told him to fuck off and to stay out of his personal life.

 

“ _I will not tolerate the way you speak about my wife and my children! There comes a time in everyone’s life when you need to reevaluate what’s important to you and for me… that’s my family.”_

 

That night, they all breathed a little easier.

 

…………

 

When Emma was six months old, Admiral Alexander Marcus died. Amelia didn’t know the full details, except that it was done by the hands of a terrorist, literally, and that his ship crashed into downtown San Francisco. Of course, Jim and his crew were involved, since it was Marcus who sent them on a wild goose chase.

 

Throughout the entire event, Chris was stuck at home with a bad strain of the flu, which saved ultimately saved his life; the deadly attack upon the high ranking officers up at the Daystrom conference room, which set the ball rolling, was one that Chris couldn’t attend. Amelia counted her lucky stars, claiming that someone was watching over them, since it was it would’ve been the third time that she could’ve possibly lost him.

 

“I can’t say that I’m upset,” Amelia sighed, as they watched the news. “Sorry. That was really awful of me. He had a daughter.”

 

“It’s okay,” he said, blowing his nose into a tissue. “I won’t tell anyone.”

 

Amelia nodded, “Do you think you’ll have to go in?” she asked, standing up to clear the empty soup bowls and mugs from the coffee table.

 

Chris sighed, “Probably,” he nodded, as the PADD on the table beeped. “But I wont go in until Phil clears me for duty.”

  
“Good boy,” she grinned. “I’ll make you some more tea and then we’ll sit out back in the patio with the kids. A little fresh air might do you some good.”

 

The baby monitor went off on the table, as Emma woke from her nap. “As long as you bring out those delicious oatmeal cookies you made this morning,” he said, as she set the bowls and cups into the kitchen.

 

Amelia laughed, “I don’t see why not,” she said, coming back out. “You’ve been a good boy the last few days.”

 

Chris chuckled, coughing lightly into another tissue, as she started up the stairs.

 

“Hi Emmy girl,” he heard her coo, as their youngest cried out for her. “Are you ready to have your bottle? Let’s get you a fresh diaper and then I’ll bring you downstairs to eat.”

 

Sighing deeply, Chris leaned back into the sofa cushions and sighed. Looking out the window, one could hardly tell that just a few miles away, that part of the city was in ruins. The sky was so clear and the sun was shining bright on that day in September. The PADD on the table beeped again, but Chris nudged it further across the table with his foot.

 

Starfleet could wait for his response, as he battled the flu. Phil would take care of everything, sending in the necessary paperwork to show that he was not fit to survey the wreckage and to do damage control. For now, he would enjoy the last remaining days of peace with his wife and children. Despite ache in his chest and the runny nose, Chris was feeling a hell of a lot better. 


	25. Emma Noelle Pike

**Emma Noelle Pike**

When Amelia announced that she was pregnant for the third time, everyone was ecstatic about the impending arrival; including Chris. Like their two children, Andrew and Catherine, Emma was a big surprise and a much welcomed one at that. The couple wasn’t trying to expand their family, considering how busy Chris was with work and how much of a handful Andrew and Catherine were. But when the birth control failed and resulted to persistent vomiting and a missed period, the six positive pregnancy tests made it clear that a baby was coming.

 

Andrew and Catherine were both excited about the baby, taking on a list of responsibilities for their new sibling. While Catherine wanted a sister, it was clear that Andrew wanted a brother.

 

“Please Mommy, make sure it’s a boy,” he begged, after they broke the news. “I’ll clean my room everyday if it’s a boy.”

 

Chris snorted, “You’re going to clean your room everyday regardless,” he said.

 

Just a few months away of hitting fifty-seven, Chris took this opportunity to slow down with work. With Marcus breathing down his neck about Jim and the _Enterprise,_ along with other Starfleet related business, he welcomed the doctor visits and taking personal days when Amelia was too sick to get out of bed to take care of the kids.

 

“You’re going to get into _so_ much trouble,” Amelia warned, sixteen weeks into the pregnancy. “If Marcus found out that your “emergency” consisted of fetching me water and saltines, I would never hear the end of it.”

 

But Chris didn’t care, as he spent the full nine months, enjoying every moment that came with a pregnancy. Every visit with Boyce and seeing their child on the ultrasound and hearing its heartbeat, going so many beats per minute. Putting together the nursery and picking out names, since they decided to keep the sex a secret, like the last two pregnancies.

 

“I think it’s a boy,” Amelia said, as Chris rubbed her belly.

 

“Nope,” he shook his head. “It’s a girl and she’s going to be gorgeous.”

 

Amelia giggled, “Well, we have three months until the big day,” she yawned. “I hope you have a really good name picked out if you’re right.”

 

“Of course I did,” he said, kissing the taught skin of her belly. “I picked out all of our children’s names, which are perfect by the way, so you have nothing to worry about.”

 

She giggled, “I apologize,” she said, nodding. “I can’t wait until this whole thing is over, just so I can look at my feet and sleep in any position that’s not on my back or side.”

 

…………..

 

Amelia knew the routine of labor and birth. She’d done it twice before, sitting through contractions before moving her ass to the hospital to get the show on the road. But when her water suddenly broke in the parking lot of the grocery store, two weeks earlier than expected, it was clear that everything she knew went out the window. Getting into the car, Amelia quickly grabbed her communicator from her purse and called Chris up at the office.

 

“Hello?” he answered, sounding frustrated as usual when it came to work.

 

“Chris? I hope you’re not too busy,” she started, earning a snort in response.

 

“Just the pile of PADD’s on my table with a deadline for the end of the day,” he sighed. “What’s up? You sound a little out of breath there.”

 

Amelia sighed, “My water broke.”

 

The stunned silence on the other hand didn’t surprise her, as she pulled out of the parking lot.

 

“What do you mean your water broke?” Chris finally asked. “Your due date is two weeks from tomorrow!”

 

“Well, I guess the baby wants it’s birthday to be today and not in May,” Amelia exclaimed, driving the car towards the hospital. “I’m going to the hospital right now, so can you call your sister to let her know that she has to get Andy and Cat?”

 

Chris was cursing on the other end, moving around his office as quickly as he could. “I’ll meet you there in five minutes,” he said, before giving strict orders to his secretary. “T’aini is going to see if Phil is on call, since our regular doctor went on fucking vacation to god knows where.”

 

Amelia nodded, “Just, try not to get yourself kill, Chris,” she warned. “Contractions aren’t too bad and I’m a block away from Starfleet General.”

 

“I’ll do my best,” Chris sighed, as T’ania came into the office. “Okay, just go to the Maternity ward. Phil will meet you there and get you in without waiting too long.”

 

“Got it,” she said, as a contraction started up. “Okay, I’m hanging up now and pulling in at the hospital.”

 

Chris made his way of the office, barking orders to his secretary as he went. “Be careful, Mia,” he warned, moving to the lifts. “I’ll see you soon.”

 

Parking the car half-assed, Amelia cut the engine and let out a shaky gasp. “Kay,” she nodded, gripping the steering wheel with one hand. “Love you.”

 

“I love you too,” he responded, softer this time.

 

………….

By the time he reached the maternity floor, Amelia had been changed into a hospital gown, the heart monitors for both her and the fetus up on the screen near the bed.

 

“Thank god,” he sighed, moving quickly to her side. “The nurse out there made it sound like you were in the middle of giving birth.”

 

Phil snorted, as he typed on a PADD. “You still have plenty of time before this baby comes,” he said. “She’s four centimeters dilated and I gave her a nice shot for the pain.”

 

Chris nodded, “I’ll call Liz about the kids,” he said, taking his communicator out of his pocket. “Could you get one of the nurses to drop off some scrubs?”

 

“What’s wrong with what you’re wearing now?” Phil frowned.

 

“If I’m going to be sitting bedside for an unknown amount of time, I rather wear scrubs than this piece of shit uniform,” Chris said, rolling his eyes.

 

Amelia sighed, “Just get him the scrubs,” she shook her head. “Please, Phil.”

 

The doctor sighed, “I’ll only do it because you said please,” he said, shaking his head. “And because you’re a nicer patient unlike this pain in the ass.”

 

Making his way out of the room, Amelia turned to her husband and shook her head. “You could be a little nicer,” she snapped. “I’m the one that’s the patient here! The one that’s going to have a ripped up vagina and thirty pounds of excess skin hanging from her once this is all over.”

 

“And I love you so much for going through all of that,” Chris said, kissing her forehead. “I’m just worried, considering the fact that you’re in labor two weeks early. Did Phil say why?”

 

“The baby is fine,” she shrugged. “I guess we triggered it with that spicy food last night and the veracious pounding into the mattress I received.”

 

Chris blushed, shaking his head. “I hope you didn’t tell him that,” he said, as she giggled. “Miaaaaa!”

 

“Oh stop!” she snorted, patting his hand. “Phil’s a big boy and he knows we have an active sex life. I mean, I’m hours away from pushing out our baby, so it’s clear that it’s active.”

 

A nurse came in at that moment, holding a set of grey scrubs. “Doctor Boyce wanted me to give you these,” she said, handing them over. “Bathroom is right over there and a dress bag should be on the hook, Admiral.

 

He nodded, “Thank you,” he said, as she smiled and left. “Are you going to be okay while I change?”

 

“No, I’m not,” she said. “I want you to strip right here before I lose my mind.”

 

Chris rolled his eyes, “Of course I’m going to be fine!” Amelia giggled. “I’ll call Liz, since you like to make everything so dramatic when it’s really not.”

 

“You should be nice to me,” Chris warned, as he started for the bathroom. “I’m going to be verbally abused tomorrow morning when none of my paperwork is handed in on time.”

 

“Boo hoo,” Amelia snorted. “Just tell Richard that our kid decided to evacuate from my uterus and he’ll understand.”

 

……………

 

“Okay, Mia, the head is crowning,” Phil announced, as he looked up over the sheet. “I need you to push a little harder on the next one.”

 

“Ohhhhh fuck youuu!” she grunted, as she squirmed on the bed. “Fuck you, Christopher!”

 

Phil snorted, “I think you’ve been there and done that,” he drawled, earning a glare from Chris. “Come on, Mia. You’ve done this twice before and I know you can do it again!”

 

Amelia groaned, her body tensing up as the contraction started up, ripping across her belly. Gripping onto Chris’s hand tightly, Amelia bore down and pushed with all her might, screeching as the baby stretched and tore her.

 

“FUCKER!” she screeched, throwing her head back. “OWWWWWW!”

 

The pressure was unbearable, as Phil announced that the head was out. “The hard part is over,” he said, taking handing over the bloodied medical instrument over to the nurse. “Give me a big push and the shoulders should pop right on out.”

 

“Come on, Mia,” Chris urged, as she panted. “You’re almost done!”

 

“Christopher, if you open your mouth one more time,” she spat, glaring over at him.

 

Phil snorted, “I take it that this is the last baby you’ll be pushing out?” he asked, as Amelia coughed.

 

Before she could respond, a contraction slammed into her, making her arch up off the bed with a howl. The push that came from it, released their child into the world, screeching in displeasure.

 

“It’s a girl!” Phil chuckled, holding up the wiggling newborn. “God bless ya, kid. Your parents are two crazy people.”

 

Amelia sighed in relief, lying back on the thin pillow, as Phil settled the baby on her rapidly deflating stomach. “Hi baby,” she gasped, as the newborn screeched. “I guess Mommy lost the bet again.”

 

Cutting the cord, Chris handed the scissors back to the nurse and made his way back to Amelia’s side. “Look at you,” he chuckled, as the baby was covered with a blanket. “You’re a big girl!”

 

The newborn shrieked, as the nurse wiped her off with the blanket. “Let’s weigh her and give her a proper wipe down,” she said, as Amelia let the baby go. “That way Mommy can get cleaned up.”

 

“She’s perfect,” Amelia said, smiling up at Chris. “She’s absolutely perfect.”

 

“That she is,” he agreed, leaning down to kiss her. “You did so good, Mia.”

 

She gave him a sleepy smile, “We both did,” she said, nodding. “We both make cute babies.”

 

Phil chuckled as he took his seat at the foot of the bed, “Don’t fall asleep now,” he warned, pulling on a clean pair of gloves. “You still have a little more work to do before you take that nap.”

 

Amelia groaned, “Make it snappy, Phil,” she huffed, as he prepared for the delivery of the placenta. “I might just kick you in the face, considering I didn’t do it the last two times I was in this position.

 

“If you do, make sure you get him right in the nose,” Chris chuckled, rubbing her shoulder. “Want me to call Liz? Let her know that she’s here?”

 

“Not yet,” she yawned. “I want to get settled and hold her for a bit, before we show her off.”

 

Chris nodded, “I’ll go check on her, that way Phil can fix you up,’ he said, kissing her. “Remember, aim for the nose.”

 

Phil cursed at him, “I’ll have you physically removed if you don’t shut your mouth,” he warned, as Amelia sat up slowly.

 

“You wouldn’t dare,” Chris chuckled, patting his shoulder. “Who makes your day this exciting?”

 

“Kirk and McCoy are the younger versions of us,” he shook his head. “God help us all.”

 

……………

 

By the time Amelia got a hold of her baby girl, it was a quarter to six. Dressed in a clean gown and moved to a clean bed, both mother and daughter curled up with one another and started the journey of bonding.

 

“What’s the name?” Amelia asked, as she watched the newborn sleep. “Better be a good one, because I don’t want that crabby night nurse coming in to collet an empty PADD.”

 

Chris chuckled, as he sat down on the bed. “Emma Noelle,” he nodded. “Little Emmy.”

 

Amelia smiled and nodded, “Emma Noelle Pike,” she recited. “Beautiful name for a beautiful girl.”

 

Emma shifted in her swaddled cocoon, yawning widely, as her eyes opened for the first time in hours. “Hi Emmy,” Amelia cooed, rocking her gently.

 

“Is she awake?” Chris asked, leaning over to look. “There you are! I was starting to wonder when I’d see those pretty eyes.”

 

Carefully, Amelia shifted the baby from her arms to his, laying back to rest against the pillows.

 

“I think you look like me, Emma,” Chris observed, as she blinked at him. “A feminine version that is.”

 

“Thank god for that,” Amelia yawned, as Chris shook his head. “Liz should be here soon, right?”

 

Chris nodded, “Once the kids are done with dinner, she and Robert will come by,” he said, as Emma gurgled. “Right Em? You’ll get to meet your brother and sister! Andy and Cat, who’ve been dying to meet you for a long time.”

 

Lying quietly next to him, Amelia closed her eyes and listened as he spoke, telling Emma all the exciting things that awaited her at home.

 

“Wait until you see your room,” he smiled, as she fussed. “It’s yellow and Mommy put all kinds of bunnies and little baby animals all over the place. Daddy managed to get one space related thing in there, so I hope you like it very much.”

 

Emma blew a spit bubble, her eyes squinting up at him as he spoke. “I can’t wait to take you home,” he said, kissing her head. “And don’t tell Mommy, but I’m taking a long vacation from work so I can help around the house.”

 

He quickly glanced over at Amelia and was relieved to see that she had fallen asleep, “Think she’ll be mad?” he asked, looking back at Emma, who’s fists bobbed up and down. “Nah, she’ll be happy to get out of changing your diapers.”

 

 


	26. Breakup and Makeup

**Breakup and Makeup**

 

A year and a half into their relationship, Amelia and Chris broke up for twelve and a half hours. It happened after a horrible weekend trip, along with several of couples that Chris knew for years. Amelia was miserable the entire time, as her boyfriend spent most of the trip with his friends, while she sulked on the beach or up in the room. What was supposed to be a weekend of having fun, lots of sex and romantic dinners, turned into arguments, no sex and eating dinner alone. 

The entire ride back to the house was tense and silent, as Amelia stared out the passenger window. Chris was fuming silently as he drove the car down the suburban streets of their neighborhood, pulling into the driveway and stopping short. Glaring at him, Amelia threw off the safety belt and rushed out of the car and up into the house, slamming the door behind her. 

As soon as Chris stepped in after her, a few minutes later, they both exploded. The screaming and name calling was atrocious, since they never went that far in their arguments before. 

"All you did was hang out with your friends and talk politics!" Amelia screamed. "Can't you just take a weekend off from all the shit you talk about at work?" 

"You knew this was a part of who I am," he shouted back, as she stormed around the living room. "I can't just.. change at the drop of a hat, because you want to frolic along the beach and draw attention to yourself!" 

There was a slam in the kitchen, as Amelia stormed out, her eyes wide and bright. "FUCK YOU!" she screamed. "I just wanted my BOYFRIEND to spend one weekend, not having to deal with Starfleet, before I went back to work this week." 

Chris scoffed, "But whatever, right?" she hissed. "Meanwhile, whenever you want a break from work, I have to drop everything and run after you! And the way you were with those people! You talk about how the lot of them are so fake and phony, and how you can't stand their materialistic wives and girlfriends! Yet you were acting SO chummy with them the entire time!" 

"Oh god," Chris rolled his eyes, tearing his gaze away from her. 

"Why did you even  _invite_ me?" she asked, her tone a bit softer. "If you weren't going to spend any time with me, then why did you invite me to go?" 

He didn't answer quickly, "You know what?" Amelia held up her hands. "I think I get the picture." 

"What are you talking about?" Chris asked, frowning. "What picture?" 

Amelia picked up her bag, which was left near the door. "Where are you going?" he asked, the sight of her walking to the front door with her bag in hand, startling him. 

"I think I'm going to spend the night with my friend from work," Amelia said, shaking her head. 

He shook his head, "W-why?" he asked, as she grabbed her coat off the hook. 

She pulled it over her arm, "Because it's clear that we're done," she responded, looking up at him. "I think it was clear the moment we got to the hotel, that we wouldn't make it past the weekend." 

Chris was dumbfounded, "Amelia, what the hell are you talking about?" he asked. 

"Goodbye, Chris," she said quickly, stepping out of the house. 

The door slammed shut behind her, making Chris jump as the force shook the floorboards beneath his feet. Too shocked to react, Chris stood there in silence, staring at the now vacant spot that his girlfriend had stood in only seconds previously. 

................

It was pouring out by the time Amelia reached Elizabeth's house, her finger pressed to the buzzer. When the older woman opened the door and found a shivering and drenched woman on her doorstep, she quickly pulled her inside and yelled for her husband. 

"What in the.." Elizabeth shook her head, as Robert came down the stairs. "Get some towels!" 

He nodded, rushing back up the stairs, while Arianna came running in from the kitchen, dressed in one of her many princess costumes. Taking in Amelia's appearance, the young girl was quick to ask questions, as her mother pulled the bag out of her hand. 

"Mia!" she gasped. "Why are you wet? Did you walk to our house in the rain?" 

Amelia nodded, unable to speak, as Robert came down with a handful of towels and a bathrobe. "Ari, go on back into the kitchen," he said, handing everything to Liz. 

"Daddy, we have to make her fairy tea!" she exclaimed, gripping her skirt. "It'll help keep the mysterious illness away! The one that the evil fairy queen put on all the pretty fairies and princesses!" 

"Go on and put the kettle on for tea," Liz said, wrapping a towel around Amelia's shoulders. "I'm going to get her into the shower and into some dry clothes, before she catches a chill." 

He nodded, taking Arianna's hand in his. "And leave me to call my asshole brother," Liz snapped, as she and Amelia started upstairs. "I know he's got something to do with all this! 

.................

Amelia cried for two hours, as Liz sat next to her on the bed, in the guest room. Out came everything that went down over the weekend and upon their arrival back to the house. The name calling and screaming, followed by Amelia ending the relationship on her own. 

"He couldn't even tell my  _why_ he invited me!" she sobbed, clutching the pillow to her chest. "It was awful, Liz. The entire weekend was a disaster!" 

Liz sighed, watching the younger woman. "My brother can be a real idiot," she said. "But this? I just don't understand it, Mia. He's  _crazy_ about you and for him to act like this with those....Starfleet brass around? I know it's not him trying to remain professional, because who does that on a fucking R & R at a beach resort? The fucking place is known for spring breakers and all kinds of races doing body shots in the bar and fucking in the hot tub!" 

Arianna arrived shortly afterwards, holding a tray of cookies and juice boxes. "I brought magical snacks," she announced, as Liz took the tray from her. "And friends!" 

In the bag on her shoulder, were a various collection of stuffed animals and dolls, which Arianna took out one by one. "They heard that you were here," she said, as Amelia watched her place them along the pillows. "And that you were sad. So they wanted to come and see you, so that you can feel better." 

While she didn't eat any of the cookies, Amelia drank four of the twelve juice boxes that were brought up, before laying quietly under the mountain of blankets. Arianna stayed in the room with her, playing with the toys, while Liz went downstairs to throw all her clothes into the dryer. Sometime, in between all of that, Amelia passed out from sheer exhaustion from the day. Between the traveling and crying, she was worn out. 

It had been almost four hours since she walked out of her home that she shared with Chris, leaving behind what she hoped would be her future. Eventually she would have to go back to get her belongings, which would be hard. But what would Chris do with her clothes and personal effects? 

"You go to sleep," she heard from Arianna, as a soft object was placed in her arms. "I'll come wake you when Mommy makes our space nuggets." 

............

"I don't care, Liz!" 

Amelia groaned, pushing herself further under the comforter, as her body started to wake. 

"Don't you dare go into that room!" Liz warned, as footsteps pounding up the stairs and down the hall. "I mean it!" 

"Don't wake her up!" Arianna whined. "She needs her beauty rest!" 

Rolling over, Amelia shoved her head under the pillow and squeezed her eyes tightly, trying to stay in that deep slumber she was once in. But when the door swung open, hitting the wall with a bang, Amelia was up and out of bed. Literally. The sound was enough to make her roll right out of bed, hitting the back of her head on the nightstand. 

"MIA!" 

She began to cry, curling up into the fetal position, with her hands behind her head.   
  
"SEE WHAT YOU DID!" Liz screamed, reaching for the communicator on the nightstand. "Can't you just listen for once, Christopher!"

"Mia? Mia, baby?" Chris said softly, laying his hands on her arms. "Oh my god! Call Phil and get an emergency transport to Starfleet General!" 

Everything was bleary, but she could still make out his face, seeing the worry and panic in his eyes. Groaning, Amelia closed her eyes and allowed the darkness to take over, pulling her into the deep. The last the she heard, before total silence, was a complete mixture. There was Arianna, hysterically crying in the background, followed by the hum of the transporter around her. Finally, she could hear Chris calling her, begging her to stay awake.   
  
" _Don't close your eyes, Mia. Come on, honey, stay awake for me. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry."_

_............._

"Am I dead?" 

There was a snort, followed by a beep, as Amelia blinked. Phil stood next to her bed, holding a PADD in hand as he jotted down her stats. 

"No," he shook his. "A little concussed and achey, but not dead. If you were, I would be dead."

She grunted, "You're boyfriend, who looks absolutely miserable, stepped outside to call Liz," he continued, setting the PADD under his arm.

"He's not my boyfriend anymore," Amelia yawned. "We broke up today."

He nodded, "Yeah, I heard about that," he said, sitting down on the stool near by. "I got the rundown when Liz called me up, screaming that she was coming up here to kill her brother for all the pain he's caused."

Amelia remained silent, as Phil studied her closely. "Look, I don't know what happened on your.. honeymoon vacation," he said, waving his hand in the air. "But the look on that man's face, when we brought a stretcher out for you? That wasn't a look of a man who didn't love his girlfriend anymore, Mia."

"Phil.." she started.

"Chris can be real dense sometimes," he interrupted her. "I should know, since I've been his friend for more than I've liked."

She managed a small smile, "But I know that he loves you like crazy," he continued. "You should let him explain why he's such an ass, before you up and pull the plug on what you two have going on."

There was a knock on the door, before it swished open. Amelia turned her head slowly and took in Chris's appearance; he was still dressed in the clothes he put on early that morning, except they were all wrinkled and out of place. His hair was a mess, as if he'd spent all afternoon pulling at it in frustration.

"Mia?"

He looked utterly _broken._ Eyes were bloodshot and the pure exhaustion on his face, made her heart clench. But then she remembered how they got to this point and tried to fight back on the feelings she felt for him, as he slowly made his way over to the bio-bed. 

"I'll let you two talk for a bit," Phil said, standing up. "Then I'll send a nurse in with some water and a pain-killer."

Watching as Phil walked out of the room, Amelia turned her attention back to Chris, who stared back at her with wide eyes. "H-how are you feeling?" he asked, clearing his throat. 

"Concussed," she responded, using the term that Phil had. 

He nodded, "Phil says you have a mild concussion," he reported. "You'll have a minor headache for a few days and a decent sized bump for a while." 

She blinked and he stopped talking, glancing down at the floor. "Liz will be by tomorrow to get you," he continued. "I just wanted to stay until you woke up and to make sure that you were going to be okay." 

"Thank you." 

"Y-you're welcome," Chris said, his heart breaking every second. "Well..I guess I better go then." 

Watching as he turned towards the door, Amelia quickly threw her arm out, her fingertips brushing the warm skin of his arm. Chris turned quickly, looking at her with wide eyes, as she wrapped her hand around his wrist. 

"Don't go," she whispered, her eyes filling with tears. "Don't go." 

"Hey, hey,' Chris said gently, as he sat on the bed. "I'm not going anywhere."

Amelia's grip increased as she cried, "I'm s-sorry," she hiccuped. "I'm sorry!" 

Pulling her into his arms, Chris held onto her as she cried, soaking the front of his shirt. "I'm sorry," he corrected her. "I should've done better and I shouldn't have made you think that I wanted to breakup." 

"Y-you didn't?" 

"Absolutely not," he insisted. "And I hate that I used a perfectly good weekend to make you think otherwise." 

Amelia let out a ragged breath, "What's happening, Chris? Phil said that something was going on, which turned you into a giant asshole." 

Chris huffed out a laugh, before dropping a kiss to her sweaty forehead. "I should've told you from the beginning," he started, as she shifted in his arms. "There's a promotion going on for a new flagship. The Enterprise." 

"Oh," she nodded, wincing at the pain. "So you ignored me for a ship?" 

"I did," he admitted, feeling the shame. "And I wish to god that I didn't, because no ship or promotion is worth losing a wonderful woman like you." 

Lifting her head up, Amelia looked at him, feeling and looking like shit. "I wish I'd told you before we left the house," he said, brushing the tear tracks with his thumb. "But I was so nervous and I didn't know what to expect." 

She looked away, "I'm so sorry, Mia," he nearly begged. "I'll do anything to prove it to you." 

"You owe me a weekend at the beach," she said, staring at the door. "You owe me three days of playing on the beach, having sex when  _I_ say so, and three romantic dinners." 

Turning back to look at him, Amelia saw the puzzled look on his face, trying to taking in the request. When he finally did speak, he didn't say anything that she expected. 

"Three romantic dinners?" he repeated. "What about breakfast?" 

"I don't eat breakfast," Amelia said. "When do I ever eat breakfast?" 

He snorted, shaking his head in wonder. "When do you want to go?" he asked, as she yawned. "We can go this weekend, because Phil put you on mandatory bed rest for the rest of the week." 

"Then I guess we can go the weekend after," Amelia shrugged. "But right now? I just want to sleep."   
  
Chris nodded, "And you're going to be doing a lot of sleeping," he said, pulling the thin blanket up to her shoulders. "I'll see if Phil will let you out of here tonight, since our bed is much more comfortable than this stone slab of crap." 

"Hmmm," Amelia nodded slowly, as he settled her back onto the pillow.

Reaching out, Chris cupped her cheek, watching as she opened her eyes to look at him. Slowly, he leaned in and pressed his lips against hers, kissing her as if she'd been gone for more than half a day. Pulling back, Amelia's eyes drooped significantly, as a sleepy smile appeared on her face. 

"I love you," he said, kissing her nose. 

""ove you too," she mumbled, as her eyes drifted shut. 

Chuckling, Chris pulled the blanket up to her chin and went to the comm unit on the wall, paging Boyce back to talk. 

..................

The next time Amelia woke up, she was being lowered into a big, comfy bed. 

"Where are we?" she asked, as the shoes came off her feet. 

"Home," Chris whispered, pulled the heavy blanket over her. "Phil let us out and made me swear that I'd call tomorrow afternoon for updates." 

Amelia sighed deeply, as she sank into the mattress, which was her favorite spot in the entire house. She could hear Chris puttering around the room, before the bed dipped as he climbed in next to her. 

"I have a painkiller on the nightstand," Chris said gently, as he wrapped his arm around her waist. 

"Later," Amelia yawned again, tucking her feet between his ankles. "How long have I been gone?" 

He let out a sigh, "About twelve and a half hours?" he shrugged. "You left around ten-thirty this morning and it's a quarter to two right now." 

Amelia nodded, "This is the first and only time we're breaking up," she reminded him. "Ever." 

"Next time we're pissed at each other... I say we just scream at each other and then have angry makeup sex afterwards," he joked, giving her a firm squeeze. "I don't want you to ever think that I don't want to bring you anywhere. Or that me being a asshole means that I want to end things. That is not who I am at all and I know this weekend doesn't make that statement true, but not having you around killed me." 

In the darkness of their bedroom, Amelia could make out his face, all thanks to the lights from his alarm clock and the street lamp outside. "I know," she said softly, laying her hand against his chest. "We both messed up this weekend." 

"Let's go to bed," Chris said, kissing her forehead. "I'm not going in this week, so I'll play nursemaid for you." 

Amelia smiled, "Are you going to wear the little costume that I wear?" she teased, as he pulled her close. "I think you'd look ravishing in stockings." 

"I'll wear something even better," he teased. "Go to sleep, Mia. I'll be right here when you wake up." 

Not needing the reassurance, Amelia closed her eyes and let out a deep sigh, allowing herself to relax in his embrace. Their short breakup and disastrous weekend was behind them, but not forgotten. But in that moment, Amelia could only focus on the future, knowing that it would be bright. 


	27. Exhaustion.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sex and Smut, ya'll!

Chris unlocked the front door and stepped into the house quickly, as a gust of wind blew down the residential block, sending the torrential rain into a slant. Coming out of the kitchen, Amelia spotted him and frowned, watching as he removed his boots and jacket near the door. 

"What are you doing home?" she asked, coming down the hallway towards him. "I thought you had a lot of work to do at the office today?" 

"I did," Chris sighed, hanging the jacket up on the hook. "Until I dropped an entire pot of coffee, yelled at my secretary and zoned out during a meeting."   
  
She sighed, "Phil ordered a mandatory bed rest," he shrugged, as she studied him. "It was supposed to be a twenty-four hour one, but then I bitched at him for being up my ass and he extended it to a seventy-two hour mandate." 

"Well, it's a good thing the weather's going to be shit this weekend," Amelia sighed. "Go upstairs, change your clothes and get into bed. I'll put on a pot of tea and bring it up." 

"Oh, I'll do it," he said, as she started back towards the kitchen. "You should be resting M-" 

Amelia turned to look at him, "Chris, I'm pregnant.. not invalid," she reminded him. "I can carry up a tray of tea without any problems, sweetheart. Now, you're on a seventy-two hour bed rest order. You better get to it. 

He sighed, watching as she disappeared into their kitchen, before starting up the staircase. A crack of thunder shook the floorboards, as the rain pelted the windows, showing no sign of letting up. Making his way into the master bedroom, Chris quickly stripped out of his uniform and pulled on the pajamas he'd left on the chair that morning. The bed was unmade and a book sat on Amelia's side of the bed, upside down, making it clear that she spent all morning under the confines of their blankets. 

"Okay," Amelia said, a few minutes later, as she carried the tray into the room. "I brought up those fruit tarts we got yesterday at the market, along with the raspberry and orange biscuits you picked out." 

"That looks like a feast for three," Chris snorted, as he set his watch and communicator down on the nightstand. 

She blushed, "Well, there's three attendees to this feast," she said, setting the tray down on the foot rest at the end of their bed. "Now that I have my appetite back, I guess you can say that I've been making up for lost time." 

Chris watched as she moved around to fix the blankets on the bed, moving her book to the nightstand. Eighteen weeks pregnant with their first child, Amelia's midsection grew practically overnight, a define curve poking out from under her shirts. That morning, she wore a pair of black leggings and a form fitting thermal top, showing just how much her body had changed in just a few short weeks. From what Boyce told them, during a weekly doctor's visit, their baby was currently the size of a sweet potato. The comparison made Chris laugh, the though of their child being as big as a produce item from the market. 

"Get in bed!" Amelia shook her head, as he just stood there. "Before I have Phil come over and sedate you!" 

"I should be the one telling you what to do," Chris grumbled, climbing up onto his spot on the bed. "You're the one with precious cargo." 

Amelia set a tea cup on his night stand, "And you're the one that's responsible for all the cargo being shuttled around in space," she reminded him. "Drink your tea before it gets too cold." 

As she moved around to climb into bed, bringing the tray of sweets with her, Chris chuckled. "I see we're starting the mothering process already, huh?" he asked, taking a sip of the honey flavored beverage. 

"MIght as well," Amelia shrugged. "Someone has to mother you, Chris. It's bad enough that you're letting yourself get this stressed out and exhausted. What are you going to do when the baby comes?"

"Take a vacation?" he shrugged, picking up a fruit tart. "Paternity leave?" 

She snorted, "Bullshit," she shook her head. "Especially if the  _Enterprise_ is due to be completed by the time Baby Pike jailbreaks from my uterus." 

Chris sighed, "I'm serious," he said, watching as she ate. "You're due around the time we're supposed to launch. I don't want to leave you so soon after having the baby." 

"Well, luckily we have plenty of time before that, to argue over it," she said. "Let's see what happens, Chis. I don't want you to make any decisions right now about it." 

"But..." he started, before she cut him off. 

"In fact," she grinned wickedly at him. "For the next seventy-two hours, I don't want to hear a single thing about Starfleet. That means I don't want to know about potential missions, who's in trouble with who and whatever else we talk about. No comm's, no going into work for emergencies, nothing. Understood?" 

He swallowed thickly, the idea of having three days with no Starfleet. "Chris," Amelia warned. "Three days will NOT kill you! That's three days in bed with me, sleeping or having sex." 

Sex was always good and being with Amelia was even better, Chris reasoned with himself. It was a holiday weekend anyway, with Labor Day falling on a Monday. So surely, the office would be closed for many of the Captain's on campus and Admirals. There were no classes in session that day either, which was nice, especially if it was a break from Jim Kirk and his antics. 

"It is a shitty weekend, weather wise," Chris nodded slowly, as a flash of lightning lit up the afternoon sky. "Liz and Robert won't be hosting their party this year." 

"And we bought stuff to have burgers and side salads for dinner," Amelia smiled. "We can make food and eat up here, watching holovid's! Three whole days to do anything we want, without having to worry about work." 

"What about you?" he asked, as she took a long sip. "Don't you have work to catch up on?" 

Amelia shook her head, "Nope," she said. "I'm actually off until Wednesday, since we have our appointment on Tuesday. After that, Liz and I are going to do some shopping for the nursery and see about registry options." 

Chris frowned, "Shouldn't I be the one helping you with that?" he asked, picking up another biscuit. "I am the father after all." 

"I would hope so," Amelia shook her head. "If you want to take another day off, to come shopping with me, I'm more than happy. We could learn a lot from your sister when it comes to bottles, strollers and whatever else we need for babies. She had two, you know. At once." 

"Did she now?" Chris asked, frowning. "I was so sure that Arianna was from the tree fairies and Izzie came directly from my sister." 

She shook her head, "You're awful," she said, as he chuckled. "Awful." 

They ate and drank for a few more minutes, before moving the tray over to the dresser near the wall. Chris shut the blinds and curtains, before crawling back under the blankets, laying down on his stomach.   
  
"I'm putting this on vibrate," Amelia said, shaking his communicator at him. "I'm serious about this being a "no-work," weekend. I want you all to myself for three whole days." 

"But what if it's a serious emergency," Chris asked, the hesitation of being shut out from the world. 

Amelia set the device down on her nightstand. "There are plenty of _other_ people who can handle it," she said, scooting down under the blanket. "And I'm sure Phil put a "do not disturb" notice on your file.. or a short term medical leave thing on you. Therefore, they wouldn't even be able to contact you." 

He sighed, "Just close your eyes and take a nap," Amelia groaned, rolling onto her side to look at him. "Later, we can take a hot shower and make dinner." 

"And maybe have sex?" he asked, as she huffed. "What? You said we had three days to do that!" 

"If you take a nap right now, I will have sex with you after dinner," Amelia bargained. "But if I wake up and find that you didn't take a nap, AND that you were doing Starfleet related work, your dick won't see anything for a month." 

Not wanting to argue or risk the loss of any sexual activity, Chris pulled the blanket up to his shoulders and settled down for an early afternoon nap. 

...............

The next time he woke, it was close to eleven-thirty at night, and Amelia was changing out of her towel and into a fresh pair of pajamas. 

"Whu?" he mumbled, running his hand down his face. "What time is it?" 

"Just about eleven-thirty," Amelia said, tugging the shirt into place. "You slept for a long time, hon. I guess you were really tired." 

He groaned, "We were supposed to have sex and eat dinner," he whined, as she made her way over to his side of the bed. "Noooo.' 

She giggled, "I'll go heat up some food and you get in the shower," she ordered. "We can do it tomorrow morning."

"Why not after I take my shower?" Chris asked, trying to pull her onto the bed. 

"Because I've been up since two and I'm tried," Amelia reasoned. "That's what happens to pregnant people, Chris. They get tried a lot because hosting a baby is hard work." 

Sighing deeply, Chris sat up and pushed the blankets off. "What did you make?" he asked, getting up.

Amelia folded the towel in half, "Home-made chicken tenders, mashed potatoes and cheese-fries." 

"Why so many potatoes?" Chris frowned, pulling clothes out of the dresser. 

"Because I wanted them," she frowned, as if he asked the most ridiculous thing ever. "Do you want both sides or one?" 

"Surprise me," he said, heading into the bathroom. "I'll be out in ten minutes." 

................

The next morning, Chris woke to find Amelia kneeling over him, her nightshirt rucked up past her hips. Within seconds they were going at it, hands gripping hips and the bed frame, as it hit the wall with each thrust. 

"Oh!" Amelia groaned, her hips moving down as Chris thrusted up into her. "Oh, god, yes! Fucking, Jesus Christ, ohhhhhh!" 

Every part of her body was on fire, as his hands and cock worked their magic on her. The second trimester brought her appetite and an increased libido, as the hormones raged throughout her body, making sex much more intense than usual. 

"Jesus..." Chris groaned, as her nails pressed into the bare skin of his chest. "Mia..you're  _soaking_ wet." 

She whimpered, grinding down against him, "Harder," she cried. "Harder, harder, harder!" 

Careful of her belly, Chris managed to roll them over, laying her down flat on the mattress. Pulling her legs up and over his shoulders, Chris set a punishing pace, as he gripped her hips. Amelia wailed at the onslaught against her body, as one hand moved from her hip and under her shirt, tweaking an already sensitive nipple. 

"Oh god! Oh god!" Amelia gasped, feeling the tension pool in her groin, as each thrust made her toes curl. 

Within seconds, Amelia was shattering around him, shrieking as her orgasm ripped through her. Chris groaned as she tightened around him, thrusting erratically, as he too followed in release. 

"Jesus.." he panted, resting his forehead against her shoulder. "Where do you get the energy?" 

"Hormones," Amelia moaned, her hands loosely gripping his biceps. "Holy fuck." 

Easing himself out of her, Chris moved back so that she could sit up, pulling her damp night shirt up and over her head. "If it's going to be like this for the next five months," Chris shook his head. "I don't know if I'll even make it to the end, Mia. You're  _killing_ me here." 

She snorted, moving to get off the bed. "How do you think I feel when you're away?" she asked, moving to the bathroom on loose limbs. "I might have to buy one of those sex toy things that my sister talks about. I'm overly sensitive all over and it's driving me crazy. " 

"A sex toy?" Chris frowned, as the shower went on. "Mia, you're not getting anything electrical and putting it in you!" 

The shower door opened, "Well, you figure something out," she said, as he stepped into the bathroom. "Are you taking a shower? Or are you going to walk around like that all day?" 

Chris glanced down at his nude and sweaty body, "Shower," he nodded, making his way over to her. "Unless you plan on walking around like that all day." 

"Just get in the shower," Amelia said, turning her body to the hot spray. "Before I change my mind and make you use the one downstairs." 

.....................

By Monday, Chris's final day of his ordered rest by Phil, he was dreading going back to work. After spending his Sunday with morning sex, catching up on a few shows and eating three home cooked meals, the dreaded afternoon of paper work and meetings for Tuesday sounded like a nightmare. 

"So I was thinking that we could put the crib right here," Amelia said, as they stood in the now empty room that would be for their child. "A changing table next to it or on the wall by the door." 

Chris watched as she stood in the middle of the room, pointing to the spots she was describing. "I want to put the rocking chair near the window, that way either you or I could show them the stars at night or how the seasons change." 

She turned and frowned, "Chris? Are you listening to me?" she asked, as he snapped out of his daze. 

"What?" he asked, standing up straighter. "The dresser near the window sounds good, honey." 

"Come here," she said, holding out her hand. 

Stepping away from the doorframe, Chris took her hand and wrapped his arms around her, as she wrapped her's around his waist. "What's wrong?" she asked, as he dropped a kiss on the  top of her head. 

"I don't want to go in tomorrow," he admitted, breaking their "no Starfleet" rule. "I like being home with you all day." 

"You just like the sex and the food," Amelia teased. "You could always put in your leave now, you know. We could have Boyce write a note in.." 

Chris snorted, "And what will this note say?" he asked, as Amelia looked up at him. "You're pregnant, not me." 

She sighed, "That Captain Christopher Pike needs immediate medical leave," she shrugged. "Because his wife, Amelia Pike, is excessively horny and needs constant sexual attention between now and when baby Pike is born." 

"Amelia, that is..." he chuckled. "What are we going to do with you, huh?" 

"Too late to run away," Amelia sighed, resting her head against his shoulder. 

He shook his head, "That it is," he teased, giving her a light squeeze. "So, back to the nursery... what color were you thinking of painting the walls?"

....................

After their appointment on Tuesday morning with their OBGYN, Chris brought Amelia back to the house before heading into the office. 

"What time will you be home?" Amelia asked, moving around the kitchen. "That way I'll know when to start dinner." 

"Seven?" he shrugged, downing another cup of coffee. "Eight the latest." 

She nodded, moving to put everything in a paper bag. "Call me if anything," she said, coming around the counter. "I'm making grilled chicken sandwiches, cold slaw and a vegetable that I can't decide on just yet." 

Chris chuckled, "Sounds good," he said, giving her a kiss. "Make sure you eat something for lunch and get that nap in, Mia. Remember what the doctor said." 

"I will," she promised, handing him the bag. "Lunch for you. I figured you could use a homemade meal today, instead of something from the replicator or mess hall. I even put a few cookies in there from last night." 

"You are," he kissed her again. "Perfect. I love you." 

Blushing, Amelia reached up and patted his hand that caressed her face. "Love you too, Captain," she grinned. "Now, go before Marcus freaks out. Give Phil my thanks for keeping you home this past weekend. And thatI look forward to the next one." 

...............

"How was your weekend?" 

Chris looked up from his PADD to find his friend standing in the doorway of his office, looking quite pleased with himself. "It was actually really good," Chris said, which quickly put Phil into shock. "Thanks for signing off on that, Phil. I need a few days at home with Mia and relaxing." 

"W-who are you and what have you done with Christopher Pike?" Phil asked, moving to sit down in the chair across from him. "You were practically ready to rip my fucking head off when I ordered you to stay home." 

He set the stylus down and shrugged, "It honestly wasn't that bad, Phil," he said. "Do you want me to make something up, that way you can feel good about getting me out of the office for more than a day?" 

"No," Phil shook his head. "How's Amelia? Did she enjoy having you home for the weekend?" 

Chris grinned, "Of course," he said, as Phil rolled his eyes. "And let me tell you... those pregnancy hormones are out of control. I think I've had more sex in the last three days than in the last three months." 

"Okay, I don't want to know this," Phil shook his head, holding his hands up. "I didn't send you home for three days to have sex. You were supposed to  _rest."_

"I did rest," Chris scoffed. "After I had sex with my pregnant wife." 

Phil rolled his eyes, "She sends her thanks too and can't wait until the next weekend you decide to keep me out of work." 

"I wish I could send you out of work for a week, "Phil grumbled, eyeing the bag on the side of his desk. "Did she pack you lunch too?!" 

Chris nodded, "I didn't realize how good a homemade meal would be, "Chris said, looking down at the PADD. "Not only did I marry a gorgeous and educated woman, but I married one that knew her way around the kitchen. She might even be better than you, Phil." 

He scoffed, "Bullshit," he shook his head. 

"I'll see what's going on this Friday night," Chris said, picking up his cup of tea. "If it's not too crazy with meetings and if Amelia's up to it, we'll have dinner at the house. You make something and we'll see who's the better cook." 

"Deal," Phil said, as his communicator chirped. "Dammit, that's probably the inept intern at the hospital. I'll call you later, yeah? Let me know about Friday, that way I can move a few things around in my schedule." 

Chris nodded, "Will do," he said, as Phil left. 

Grabbing the paper bag from the side, Chris pushed the PADD and other documents out of the way and started pulling all the items out; the tupperware contained the sandwich and the salad, along with the little bag of cookies. 

"Mia, Mia, Mia," he chuckled, setting the bag down. 

It was safe to say that, when he got home that night, he thanked his wife properly. 


	28. Sex Tape

"I can't believe you lost the goddamn thing!" Amelia shouted, as she dug through the stack of books and PADDs on the desk. "I told you to put it somewhere that we could both access it! Not toss it wherever you wanted!" 

Chris shook his head, "You think I can remember everything?" he snapped, as she started pulling the drawers out of the desk. "This was your idea to begin with!" 

"Oh don't act like you weren't into it, Christopher!" she yelled. "I clearly remember you taking full control, five minutes into the goddamn thing!" 

They went at it like cats and dogs, screaming at each other, while ripping the house apart in search of a small data chip. One that held the raunchiest sex tape to ever be filmed by a "normal" couple. And now, said data chip, was currently missing in their shared bungalow of love. 

"I swear to god, if someone took it or you accidentally brought it to work..." Amelia shook her head, before covering her face. "Oh god! What if you brought it work and it got into the wrong hands? We could be on that disgusting porno channel that the students use to exploit their ex's or their one night stands!" 

Chris made his way over to her, wrapping his arms around her. "Hey," he said gently, kissing the top of her head. "I know for a fact that I didn't bring it to work. I don't bring any data chips from a home recording device to work and I would know the difference between them and the fancy ones that Starfleet uses." 

"Then  _where_ is our  _sex tape!"_ she cried. 

"I'm sure it's in here somewhere," he reasoned. "Look, we only moved in two weeks ago, Mia. Maybe you chucked it into a box, along with a bunch of other shit, and it's downstairs in the basement." 

She sighed, "Let's eat lunch and after, I'll go down and look," Chris said, giving her arms a squeeze. "Once we find it, we'll either burn it or put it a shoe box and onto the top shelf of our closet." 

"We're burning it," Mia said firmly. "IF anyone got their hands on that chip, we would both lose our jobs and be laughed out of town." 

Not wanting to argue with her- or destroy evidence of their steamiest romp to date- Chris simply nodded, leading her out of what would be his office and into the kitchen. 

"If you think that's the best choice," he said, pulling a chair out for her. "Then we will burn it." 

It was easier said, than done. 

....................

"What in god's name are you doing?" 

Chris looked up from the mess he was making, "Um... cleaning?" he shrugged, as Phil stood in the doorway of his office at the Academy. 

"Cleaning?" Phil asked, not believing him. "I thought cleaning meant to organize or declutter.... not toss everything from your desk drawers on top of said desk."

Groaning, Chris set the broken old PADDs and random artifacts onto the pile and sat in his chair. "I lost something," he finally admitted. "Something very important and if I don't find it.....my fiancee might either kill me or leave me."

Phil whistled, as the door closed behind him. "Did you lose something that's hers?" he asked, coming over to the chairs in front of his desk. "Oh god, please tell me you didn't lose her engagement ring in here." 

"No," Chris shook his head. "Mia refuses to take that damn thing off, especially at bed time. I almost lost an eye the other morning, when she decided to become an human starfish and take up her side, plus mine." 

"Well, what the hell did you lose?" 

Chris blushed, "A very important...data chip," he said, giving a half-shrug. "You know... a home...video...thing." 

Phil frowned, "A home video?" he asked, as his friend nodded slowly. "Oh god... you didn't. Chris, please tell me you didn't!" 

"We... kinda...sorta... definitely did?" Chris winced, as Phil groaned in despair. "Oh god! I'm sure you made a sex tape or two with past girlfriends!" 

"Yes, but I made sure to destroy or lock up the data chip  _after_ making said sex tape," he said. "Did you bring the damn thing to work and hand it in to Barnett?" 

"I really hope not, because the last thing I need is a scandal on my file or my legacy," he shook his head. "How do I tell my kids that Daddy got fired for handing in a sex tape to his superiors?" 

Phil snorted, "What makes you think you'll live long enough to even create said kids?" Phil asked. "Mia would castrate you and then kill you!" 

The Captain groaned, "I really don't know how this goddamn thing went missing!" he exclaimed. "I thought I left it at home on my desk, but I have a bad feeling that I grabbed it with all my other stuff." 

"I wouldn't worry too much," Phil shrugged. "Chances are, it's somewhere in that mess of a house. Besides, who would want to watch you having sex? I wouldn't." 

"I'll have you know, that the contents on that tape are very graphic," Chris warned, pointing at him. "It's graphic enough that I could get in trouble if it falls into the wrong hands. Mia could lose her job if it came out and the elementary school caught wind of it. No parent is going to want their children being taught by a teacher who can practically bend themselves in half" 

Groaning, Phil covered his face with his hands. "I don't want to know!" he exclaimed. "I don't want to picture the two of you in the heat of the moment, going at it like teenagers!" 

...................

Across campus, James Kirk was currently in possession of one sex tape, that he never wanted nor expected to see. Staring at the data chip on his bed, Jim tried to remove the images of his academic advisor and mentor, in the throes of passion, from his head. It was bad enough that he knew what his fiancee looked like without her clothes on and that she was  _very_ flexible. Or that Pike seemed to be a fantastic lover, even though he was over the age of forty. 

"Jim?!" Leonard shouted from the other room. "I'm heading out to get food! Do you want to come?" 

"Uh..." he hesitated, looking away from the data chip for a second. "How about you text me the place? I have to drop something off at Pike's office before he leaves." 

Leonard stood in the doorway of the bedroom, "Sure," he shrugged. "But I don't wanna hear any complainin' on what I pick. You get to pick all the goddamn time!" 

Waving his hand at the grumpy doctor, Jim shrugged into his leather jacket and grabbed the chip. "Just... pick something good," he said, heading to the door. "I'll see you in fifteen." 

..............

"Do.....do I wanna know  _how_ you got this?" Chris asked, as he held the chip in his hand. 

"Let's just say... it was a honest mistake," Jim said, holding up his hand. "I don't know how it got in your office, but I must've picked it up with all my PADDs that you were checking for me. Didn't realize that it wasn't mine...until it started playing." 

Chris groaned, "If you tell anyone... _anyone.._ you will be thrown out of here so fast.." he warned. 

Jim looked uncomfortable at the idea of replaying the raunchy events of the tape. "Sir, no offense, but the last thing I want to remember.. is how you both look when naked and...mating.." 

"Mating?" Chris snorted. "Is James Kirk, resident playboy of Starfleet, uncomfortable of a sex tape?" 

"When it's not staring me?" Jim asked. "Yeah.. I would say that I am. It's like catching your parents having sex, after making it up in your mind that they don't have sex." 

Chris sighed, putting the data chip into his bag. "Well, thank you for returning it," he said. "And for not holding as blackmail against me." 

The younger man shrugged, "How else would I get onto a ship?" he asked. "You're my only shot, sir."   
  
"I'll keep this in mind, when I pick my crew for the Enterprise," said Chris. "Until then, not a single word to anyone about this. That includes Doctor McCoy."

Saluting him, Jim stood up. "You have my word," he nodded. "Just.... tell your fiancee that killing me would be huge upset to the female population here." 

..................

Amelia gasped at the sight of the data chip in Chris's hand, when he took it out later that day. "You found it?" she asked, amazed. 

"Actually, someone returned it to me," Chris said, as the panic came across her face. "Don't worry, it's someone we know and they looked quite disturbed that this thing even existed to begin with." 

"Who?" 

He sighed, "Jim." 

"James Kirk?" Amelia asked, as he nodded. "How the fuck did he get our sex tape, Chris!?" 

"Took it by mistake," he shrugged. "Thought it was a program of his for a class, got a scare of a lifetime, and quickly brought it back. Said it was like watching his own parents fucking." 

She groaned, "Great," she mumbled. "Now he won't be able to look at me again, without picturing how I look naked." 

He chuckled, "He shouldn't be picturing you naked at all, my dear," he said, wrapping his arms around her waist. "He asked me to beg for you to spare him the next time you see him. So... just be nice to him, okay?" 

"Fine," Amelia nodded. "Now, either you burn that thing in our new fireplace... or you erase whatever's on it and you make sure that this video is never seen again." 

"Or," Chris shrugged. "We could watch it ourselves and then put it away." 

Amelia glared at him, "Hey.. maybe I want to watch it in twenty years, to reminisce on how good I was," he shrugged. 

"You're ridiculous," Amelia said, shaking her head in disapproval. "Truly ridiculous, Christopher." 

He pouted as she pulled away from him, moving back to the pile of boxes that sat around and on top of their new coffee table. "Miaaaaaa," he whined, as she started unpacking a box. 

"Put that goddamn thing somewhere, so that I never have to see it again," she snapped. "After that, I want you to start unpacking these boxes. Half of this shit isn't even mine, Christopher!" 

"Don't forget, it was YOU that wanted to make this tape," he said, pointing at her. 

Setting a glass dish onto the table, Amelia crumpled up the paper and smiled sweetly at him. "And if you ever want to have sex again, you'll do what I just said and won't ask questions," she said. "Now, get moving." 

Not wanting to deal with her wrath, which could be pretty ugly if she was pushed far enough, Chris started for the staircase that would take them up to their room. With the chip in his pocket, Chris knew exactly where he would place the compromising material that caused much panic in the last twenty-four hours. After all, Chris thought as he changed out of his work clothes, it would make for a great memory to look back on in the future. 

 


	29. Temper Tantrums

When Catherine was two and a half, Chris began the countdown to when the "terrible twos" would draw to a close. It was like clockwork, as Catherine went from a sweet and happy infant, to a screaming terror of a toddler; taking names and leaving destruction wherever she went. His co-workers joked that it would continue until she was out of the house and in college. Others said it would be for life, even if Catherine started a family of her own after college. 

"Daddy, I want!" 

Chris sighed, dropping several boxes of pasta into the cart. Usually it was Mia that did the shopping, leaving the kids at home or taking them with her. But on that hot and sticky summer afternoon, she was home with Andrew, nursing him back to health after sustaining the worst sunburn a four and a half year old could get. Between staying up all night with the crying boy and dealing with the temper tantrums from a toddler, Chris was ready to book a ticket off planet. 

"Honey, we don't need those," Chris said, as Catherine pointed to the jars of exotic pickles. "We have pickles at home." 

She pouted as he pushed the cart away from the jars of colorful condiments. "Daddy, I wantttt!" she whined, bowing her head in despair. 

He sighed, "How about we go and pick out cookies?" he suggested, which made her perk up a bit. "You like that idea, huh? We can get cookies for you and Andy. Even Mommy." 

"Cookie! Cookie! Cookie!" she chanted, clapping her hands together. "Cookie, Daddy!" 

Bringing her to the aisle that held cookies, crackers and whatever junk food they had to offer, Catherine took her time, picking out which cookies she wanted. Grabbing both Mia and Andy's favorites, Chris watched as the little girl scanned the shelves, before pointing to the boxes and packages she liked. 

"Think we have enough?" he asked, tossing another box into the wagon. "We still have to get the rest of the stuff Mommy wrote down on her list." 

"More?" Catherine frowned, as he showed her the list. 

He nodded, "We have to get all this food," he said. 'And then we have to get stuff to clean the house and then stuff for Andrew's sun burn." 

"Andy ouch?" 

"Andy's sunburn hurts," Chris nodded, to which Catherine pouted. "I know, baby doll. I feel bad for him too." 

They managed to get through the rest of the shopping, without any problems. Of course, Catherine asked for things here and there, to which Chris either said no to or compromised. Like letting her pick out the ice cream and a few flavors of the yogurt Mia wanted him to pick up. The real problems began when they reached one of the checkout lines. Spotting the colorful display of candy, Catherine began to squirm in the top seat of the cart. 

"Daddy! Daddy, I want!" she exclaimed, yanking an entire box of individual packages of  _Space Rocks;_ a colorful chocolate treat, that Mia craved during the second and third trimester of her pregnancy with Catherine. 

"No, no," Chris said, putting the box back onto the rack. "We have candy at home, Cat. And you're getting ice cream and cookies here." 

Moving back to unload the rest of the cart, Chris was oblivious to the fact that Hurricane Catherine was brewing; quickly. As the checkout girl started scanning, Catherine let out the shrillest screech, startling them all. Then came the tears, which Chris couldn't decipher. He knew the cries that signaled hunger, exhaustion, pain and fear. But this? This was a cry he couldn't identify. The screaming, making his ears ring, made it sound like she was being tortured. 

"Catherine, what's wrong?" he asked, moving the cart down so he could stand in front of her. "What's wrong?" 

"I WANT ROCKS!!!!!" she screeched, her little face getting redder and redder. 

Luckily, the cashier had a bagger, who quickly bagged and placed the groceries into the cart. "Honey, we have candy at home," Chris said, as the customers behind him became disgruntled. 

The little girl continued on and on, even as Chris swiped his credit chip and took the receipt from the girl. "I'm sorry," he said, taking the paper from her. 

"It's alright," she said, sounding sincere. "Kids cry. It happens," she continued, turning to glare at the woman behind them. "It's what  _they_ do." 

The woman huffed, as Chris turned to look at her, avoiding his stare. Chris rolled his eyes and pushed the cart forward, "Come on, Cat," he said, as she continued to wail. "Some people forget that children  _cry."_

Scandalized, the woman's face went from red to purple, as the girl scanned her bag of pork rinds and her two liter of soda. "Well, I never!" she cried, as the cashier rolled her eyes. 

The young woman behind the elder, shook her head, for in her wagon sat a young boy. "Never had children?" she asked. "Because your reaction to a crying toddler makes it quite clear." 

"I w-want r-r-ocks," Catherine hiccuped, as Chris started for the exit. "Daddy! NOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!" 

"When we get home, you're taking a nap," he said, as the hot air hit them. "You'll be lucky if you get anything tonight after dinner." 

....................

Heading upstairs to Andrew's room, he pushed the door open and found Mia tucking him in. Looking over, she gave him a tired smile, as she came up to him. 

"How is he?" Chris whispered, as they looked back at the sleeping boy. 

"As best as one can be," she shrugged. "Leonard suggested a cold bath with baking soda, which I gave him. I managed to get some giggles out of him during that, which was nice. And luckily I had enough aloe lotion to slather onto him." 

He sighed, "Poor kid," he shook his head. "This summer has been brutal." 

They stepped out into the hallway, closing the door halfway. "I think the next time we go swimming, we'll put them in those surfer tops. Especially Catherine, since she's so fair." 

"Well, that's if I decide if she can ever go out again," Chris muttered, as they started downstairs to the kitchen. 

"Uh oh, what happened?" Mia asked, as Chris went back to unloading the groceries. 

He sighed, "Everything was fine, until we got to the check out line," he said. "Started screaming and crying over a thing of Space Rocks. Even got a woman behind us all riled up, which led to a verbal smack down with the cashier and the woman behind her!" 

Mia winced, "I'm sorry," she said, shaking her head. "I should've kept her home, instead of insisting that she'd go with you." 

"It's not your fault," Chris said, tossing the plastic bag into the recycle bin. "Who knew she would get like that over a package of candy? She was fine the entire trip, until the very end." 

"I'm convinced those candy displays are put there, to drive us parents crazy," she shook her head, running her fingers through her hair. "Where is she?" 

Chris sat down at the table, "Upstairs," he said. "Cried the entire way home, which tired her out. "She was still babbling about candy, when I tucked her in." 

Mia nodded, "I'll have to talk to her later," she said, moving to sit down next to him. 

"She's two and a half, Mia," Chris reasoned. "She won't understand. I could compromise with her and she still won't understand the concept. I'm lucky I got her to pick out her own ice cream and a few flavors of yogurt." 

"Well, we can't let her get like that in public, Chris. Especially if it gets other people in a bad mood," she shook her head. "The last thing I need is a phone call from the local jail, saying you and our child are there, because you got into a fight at the grocery store." 

He sighed, "Next time, I'll go alone," he said. "Or I'll bring her little PADD, that way she's focused on something other than what's on the shelves." 

Mia shrugged, "Alright," she gave in. "I'm going to start dinner. Why don't you and Watson hang out in the den? It'll take a while to cook the chicken, anyway." 

"You don't want any help?" Chris asked, as she stood up from the table. 

"Honey, the only time you ever cook, is if I'm sick or working," she reminded him. "Besides, Andy wants that cheesy potato dish I made last week. I figured I'd make that for him, since he's been down in the dumps." 

Standing up, Chris stretched his arms up and over his head. "I guess I'll go sit down for a bit," he shrugged. "Before you suddenly change your mind." 

Handing him a cold bottle of water and a giving Watson a cookie, she watched as they headed out of the kitchen and towards the den. 

...................

Catherine was up and moody when Chris went up to get her, refusing to walk by herself downstairs. Giving her a pacifier, which Mia would most definitely frown upon, Chris carried her down to the dining room. 

"Mommy made chicken and potatoes," Chris said, trying to get her in the cheerful mood. 

The little girl whined, tucking her face into his shoulder, as he walked. In the kitchen, Andrew sat quietly at the table, looking just as exhausted as his little sister. The swelling from the sunburn had gone down significantly, thanks to antibiotics and every other medication the pediatrician put him on. Now, his skin was starting to peel, which meant that he was itchy as well. 

"Mommy, I'm hungry," he whined, as Chris set Catherine down in her chair. 

"I know you are," Mia said, putting the final touches on the salad. "Daddy's going to cut your chicken up, okay? Once you finish eating, we'll put a movie on in the den for you." 

Moving bowls, cups and plates from the counter to the table, they managed to get everything cut and ready within five minutes. Andrew ate slowly, while Catherine played with her food instead of eating.

"Come on, Kitty Cat," Chris said, as she dropped her fork onto the dish. "If you eat all that food, you can have ice cream and two cookies later." 

Catherine whined, "Catherine, please eat your dinner," Mia said, filling Andrew's cup with water. "Or you'll go right back to bed." 

The girl looked from her mother to her father, who nodded, before picking up her fork again. Slowly, she began to eat her dinner, scowling as she chewed each piece. Chris sighed, shaking his head, as Andrew and Mia ate. "Catherine, what are we going to do with you?" he asked, as she dropped a cheese covered potato slice on her shirt. 

....................

Later, when it was bath time, Catherine took her anger out in the tub; the floor was soaked, as well as Chris, as she slapped and kicked at the soapy water. Rubber ducks went flying like bombs, along with Barbie and her friends. 

"Mommy is going to be so mad," Chris said, as he tried to mop up the mess on the floor. "Catherine, please stop splashing." 

"NO!" she shouted, chucking a waterlogged doll out of the tub. "Splashy!" 

He managed to get the soap out of her hair, before pulling the drain stopper out. "Let's get some PJ's on and you can have an ice pop," he said, as Catherine began to whine. "Catherine, I'm not going to play this game with you. Either you get your PJs on now and behave like a good girl, or, I'll put you in bed and that's it." 

She gasped in outrage, "Daddy, you mean," she shook her head.

"I'm not mean," Chris corrected her, as he pulled her out of the tub. "I'm in charge around here, not you, little miss." 

"I no wanna," Catherine whined, as he wrapped her up in a towel. "Nooooooo." 

He carried her across the hall to her bedroom, setting her down on the bed. "Catherine, for the love of- Look!" he snapped, startling her. "Do not make me tell you again! Either you be good or I ground you for the rest of the summer!" 

This quickly shut the girl up, as she sat quietly on her bed, watching as he moved around the room to collect a clean pull-up and pajamas. By the time she was dried and dressed, the towel sitting in the hamper, she was too afraid to move, let alone speak. Picking her up again, Chris carried her down the hall and downstairs to the kitchen, where Mia was getting an ice pop out for Andrew. 

"Are we having an ice pop, Daddy?" Mia asked, as she held the box in her hands. 

"We are," he nodded, as did Catherine. "Ice pops and then we'll brush our teeth and head into bed." 

The kids ate their ice pops in silence; Andrew due to exhaustion and Catherine due to being yelled at. Mia collected the wrappers and sticks for the garbage, while they were led back upstairs to brush their teeth. Giving Andrew a dose of children's Motrin, Chris tucked him in with his dinosaurs and turned on the night light. 

"Mommy will be up to kiss you goodnight," he said, as the boy nodded. "I love you, buddy." 

Andrew yawned, "Love you too, Daddy," he mumbled, as he closed his eyes. 

In the other bedroom, Catherine was sitting on her bed, holding her stuffed pony. "Ready for bed?" Chris asked, as she nodded slowly. "Let's get you and Mr. Buttercup tucked in." 

She lay quietly as the princess sheet and comforter went up, and when Chris turned on the night light. "Daddy?" 

"What's wrong?" he asked, as she wiggled under the blankets. 

"Sorwee," she pouted. "Sorwee, Daddy." 

Chris sighed, "I'm sorry too," he admitted. "How about we make a deal? If you can be a good girl, then I won't yell." 

Not fully understanding what was being offered, Catherine nodded anyway, holding her arm up for a hug. Chris pulled her up and gave her an infamous bear hug, tickling her as he did so. Squealing, Catherine wiggled and laughed, as did Chris. 

"Get some sleep," Chris said, giving her a noisy kiss on the cheek. "Since Mommy is going out tomorrow with Aunt Brittany, we have the whole house to ourselves." 

"Pony?" she asked, looking at him expectantly. 

Chris nodded, "We can play with your ponies," he promised. "And if Andy's feeling up to it, maybe he'll play too." 

Pleased, Catherine laid back down against her pillows and giggled. "Sweep, Daddy," she nodded, cuddling with Mr. Buttercup. "Wuv you." 

"I love you too, sweetheart," he said, tweaking her nose. "I'll see you in the morning." 

With the nightlight on, Chris stepped out of the room, just as Mia did with Andrew. "Sleeping?" he asked, as she nodded. "I'll go clear off the bed and you go in and say goodnight to Cat." 

"Okay," Mia nodded, moving over to the door to their daughter's room. "Tomorrow will be a better day, Chris." 

He nodded, patting her hand that laid against his chest. "I know," he nodded, realizing it was the truth. 

Giving him a quick kiss, Mia stepped into Catherine's room to say goodnight, while Chris headed down the hall to their own bedroom. The exhaustion from being up all day and dealing with Catherine's temper tantrums, left him exhausted. Raising children had been much more difficult than dealing with cadets, who were half Andrew and Catherine's age. Sure, with the kids he didn't have to worry about bar fights, sexual misconduct, drugs and alcohol and whatever else cadets managed to get themselves into. But there was still drama within the household over who got the last juice box or who got to spend more time with Daddy, especially on his day off from the office. 

Moving the laundry from the bed to the chair, Chris stripped out of his clothes and pulled on a pair of pajama bottoms, before heading into the bathroom to get ready for bed. When he came out of the bathroom, he found the bedroom empty. Sighing, Chris climbed under the blankets on his side of the bed and laid down. Despite being exhausted, he forced himself to stay awake until Mia came in; a common struggle that started before Andrew was born and had gotten worse over the last four and a half years. 

So, when Mia finally came in for bed, she wasn't surprised at all to find Chris out cold; snoring and drooling into his pillow. 


End file.
